Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Located in the heart of the prestigious terroirs of Burgundy, Domaine Taupenot-Merme has its roots in Morey Saint Denis and covers 13 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. Although the Domaine was born from the meeting and marriage in 1963 of Jean Taupenot, originally from Saint Romain, and Denise Merme, originally from Morey Saint Denis, its history dates back several centuries. The origin of this family wine tradition goes back to the 18th century on the maternal side with Claude Morizot (born in 1760) and on the paternal side with Blaise Taupenot (born in 1749). An important part of the current vineyard was acquired and planted by Armand Merme (Morey Saint Denis) and René Taupenot (Saint Romain), respectively the parents of Denise and Jean.
The vineyard is composed of old vines with an average age of more than 35 years and more than 60 years for some of the First and Grand Crus. Jean and Denise have been able to develop the pioneering and innovative side of their forefathers by acquiring several prestigious terroirs, developing an international commercial activity, completely mastering the production process and selling their wines in bottles, while respecting the tradition. But they have also passed on their know-how to their children, Virginie and Romain, who returned to the Domaine in 1995 and 1998 respectively.
They work closely together while also seeking to make their own mark with the greatest respect for each other. Thus, Virginie and Romain extended the Domaine with the purchase in June 1999 of a parcel of Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru les Pruliers, in 2003 Jean recovered part of his vines on Saint Romain and Auxey Duresses (3.5 hectares) and in 2005, another Grand Cru was added to the range with 0.5 ha of Corton Rognet. In total, since 2005, the Domaine produces 19 appellations in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on almost 13 ha with 4 Grand Crus, 6 Premiers Crus, 7 villages and 3 regional appellations. These wines seek to express the finesse and typicity of each terroir in order to make each one a unique wine.
In addition, since 2001 the vines of the Domaine have been managed organically and the Domaine exports about 80% of its production to more than 30 countries around the world. Virginie (born in 1971) is in charge of the administrative and commercial part (notably for France, Japan, Canada, Brazil...) and since July 2008, she is also the president of the Association "Femmes et Vins de Bourgogne". Romain (born in 1966) is in charge of the vinification and also deals with other commercial markets. They represent the 7th generation, respectful of the family tradition and anxious to pursue the development and adaptation to the new challenges of the 21st century.