Domaine Méo-Camuzet

The estate produces most of its wines in the Côte de Nuits, particularly between Vougeot and Nuits-Saint-Georges, as well as some exquisite wines on the Corton hillside, in Côte de Beaune. In 2003, Jean-Nicolas joined his two sisters, Isabelle and Angeline, to develop the trading activities of the company with a strong focus on quality. He revealed the finesse of the terroirs in the northern part of the Côte de Nuits by harvesting grapes from several villages scattered between Marsannay and Chambolle- Musigny.

The estate is not certified organic, but it employs organic farming practices, like the use of certified organic products, plowing the soil, an intimate knowledge of each plot, and precision viticulture to prevent diseases and control yields.
The estate aims at producing wines with structure, finesse, concentration and charm, wines that are well-balanced, while respecting the personality of the terroir and the vintage.

Several techniques are applied to achieve these goals: an approach to viticulture that seeks to promote natural balances and reveal the terroir, the control of yields, cautious harvesting, the sorting of grapes before vinification, and little intervention which brings finesse, favors the expression of the fruit and preserves the personality of each wine.

The aging in new barrels and the bottling without fining or filtration give perfectly balanced wines.

For over four centuries, the Méo family has consecrated itself to growing grapes and making wine. The estate is managed today by Jean-Nicolas Méo and his wife Nathalie.

In 2003, with Jean-Nicolas’s two sisters, Isabelle and Angeline, the family developed the trading activity of the company under the name of “Méo-Camuzet Frère & Soeurs”.

It is thanks to Jean Méo’s mother, Marcelle Lamarche-Confuron, the daughter of an old family of winemakers from Vosne-Romanée, that the Méos found its roots in the village. Jean Méo’s grandmother was the first cousin of Etienne Camuzet, a man with a cheerful character. When Mr Camuzet died in 1946, Maria Noirot, his daughter, inherited the estate and bequeathed it to her nephew Jean Méo in 1959. At the time, Jean Méo had already left Vosne-Romanée and was working in General de Gaulle’s cabinet.

Having regularly rubbed shoulders with his uncle Etienne, who had shared with him his passion for the vine and his respect and love of wine, Jean Méo decided to take the estate in hand, with the precious help of his parents. That is how Jean Méo could pursue his career in Paris next to General de Gaulle and lead several large companies. He was also elected to the European Parliament and sat on the Council of Paris. Throughout this period, he relied on four sharecroppers, including the great winemaker Henri Jayer. Mr Jayer was one of the first winemakers to systematically control the temperature of wines during vinification to reveal its freshness and fruit and emphasize its nose and texture.

Jean Méo managed the estate from 1959 to 1984, before calling on his son to join him. Jean-Nicolas, only 20 years old by then, was a student at ESCP (Sup de Co Paris) and was not prepared to become a winemaker. After 8 days of reflection, he decided to take the challenge. He finished his studies, took a detour to the University of Burgundy to study oenology, and left for the USA to study at the University of Pennsylvania. It wasn’t until 1989 that he returned to Vosne -Romanée and immersed himself in the estate, the vineyard and the art of vinification. His mentors were his father and Henri Jayer who, despite being retired, agreed to share his knowledge, his techniques and his love of winemaking with Jean-Nicolas. Christian Faurois, the son and nephew of other historic tenants of the estate, also taught him about the vineyard and shared with him their passion for wine.

Since 2008, all the sharecroppers have retired and Jean-Nicolas cultivates all the vineyards of the estate.