Burgundy
Domaine Dufouleur, Côte de Nuits
The surname “Dufouleur” comes from a time in European history when people were identified according to their line of work. The term “fouleur” refers to a person who treads grapes, so the destiny of this well-known Burgundy winemaking family may have been sealed during the Middle Ages.
A birth certificate at Domaine Dufouleur confirms the family’s existence in Nuits-Saint-Georges at least as far back as 1596. Today, 14th generation Yvan Dufoueur tends the family’s 80 acres of vines spread out over twelve appellations, combining ancestral methods taught to him by his father, Guy, with the modern viticultural technologies available today. Yvan took the domaine organic in 2000. He limits yields with careful pruning and green harvesting, and picks by hand with a strict selection in both the vineyard and on a sorting table upon arrival at the cellar. The overall improvement in quality of the domaine’s wines has been significant.
For years, the Dufouleur family also ran a successful négociant business, but Dufouleur Père & Fils was sold to Maison Antonin Rodet in early 2007 so that Yvan could focus his efforts solely on the family’s own vineyard holdings.
Domaine Facts
| Vines & Wines: | Approximately 16 acres combined for following Nuits-Saint-Georges and Fixin wines: Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre – 10 acres (45% of vines 55 years-old) Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre Vieilles Vignes – 1.5 acres (60 year-old vines) Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Perrières – 2 acres (70% 60+ years-old) Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Poulettes – 1.2 acres (65 year-old vines) Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Saints Juliens – 1.2 acres (70% 60+ years-old) All parcels farmed organically since 2000. |
| Soil: | Limestone and clay marls |
| Harvest: | All parcels picked by hand using shallow bins |
| Yields: | 40 hectoliters/hectare on average for 1er crus |
| Vinification & Elevage: |
Grapes are 100% destalked. Pneumatic press. Cold maceration (soak) before fermentation in open vats to maximize color extraction. Secondary malo-lactic fermentation carried out on all wines. Élevage approximately 13 months in French oak barrels with 25% to 40% new wood depending on vintage conditions in respective appellations. |
| Annual Production: | 210,000 bottles / 17,500 cases total (includes wines not currently imported by JWS) |