Domaine Jacques Prieur

The history of one of the oldest estates in Burgundy

The great history of the Jacques Prieur estate began on February 24, 1868 with the marriage, in Bligny-les-Beaune, of Claude Duvergey and Marie Tabourneau. Marie was the daughter of winegrowers and Claude was the son of winegrowers. The latter founded the Maison Duvergey-Taboureau and initially prospered in the wine and brandy trade. In 1879, he acquired the "Herbeux" property in Meursault, which is now the heart of the Jacques Prieur estate, and began buying vines. The latter survived the phylloxera that was raging at that time in the Côte d'Or and he continued his acquisitions, including the purchase of the Clos de Mazeray Monopole at the southern entrance to Meursault in 1889.

At his death, Claude Duvergey bequeathed his estate to Jacque Prieur, Marie Tabourneau's grand nephew. The latter developed the estate and in 1924 instituted the "Paulée de Meursault" in order to celebrate the end of a harvest with all the Murisaltian wine growers. He gave his name to the estate in 1956 and bequeathed it to his children at his death in 1965.

Today, this jewel of Burgundy is managed by the Labruyère family supported by the heirs of the Prieur family.

The commitments

Daniel Godefroy, head of cultivation, has been involved for many years in a reasoned cultivation approach for the conduct of his vines. Inputs have been greatly limited, the soil is worked mechanically and not chemically, and certain tasks respect the lunar calendar (a step towards biodynamics!).

The Labruyère family has a deep desire to bequeath healthy terroirs to future generations as well as to pass on respect for the unique expression of each parcel. Thus, a sustainable and haute-couture viticulture has been developed.

Harvesting is always done by hand and in small crates to avoid crushing the grapes.

The terroir

Established since the 19th century, the estate's vineyards now cover 21 hectares, including 11 hectares of Pinot Noir and 10 hectares of Chardonnay.

The property owns a third of the Burgundy Grand Cru appellations: Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Corton-Bressandes, Echézeaux, Clos Vougeot, Musigny, Chambertin and Chambertin Clos de Bèze. There are also fourteen Premiers Crus and one Appellation Village.

The soils are mostly composed of clay and limestone.

The wines

The Puligny-Montrachet les Combettes 1er Cru is composed of 100% Chardonnay grapes grown on clay-limestone soils with a strong presence of pebbles favoring good ripeness. With a bright golden-green color, it develops a subtle and fine nose with acidulous-lemon notes, dried fruits and currants. Its mouth is fresh and chiseled with a warm and salivating finish.

The Musigny Grand Cru is a 100% Pinot Noir with a very expressive nose offering a magnificent floral bouquet and beautiful aromas of purple and rose. Its intense reddish-black color reveals a soft mouth with fresh fruit and a slight acidity. The end of the mouth is carried on fine tannins, spicy, sapid and very digestible.

The Clos Vougeot Grand Cru is a 100% Pinot Noir that gets its power and structure from the clay that dominates the soil. Its color is a dark ruby tinged with purplish hues. The nose is very complex, with floral notes, small berry fruits and sweet spices, and develops a dense and digestible structure in the mouth with fleshy, fresh and spicy tannins.

The Beaune Clos de la Féguine 1er Cru "monopole" is a 100% Pinot Noir. Its ruby red color, marked by an intense purple disk precedes a seductive nose with notes of red fruits that evolve on contact with the air on roasted and spicy notes. Its mouth is warm, round, almost velvety with an excessively tasty ripe fruit, revealing a finish with silky and very digestible tannins.