Robert-Denogent

Domaine Robert-Denogent is a family estate in Fuissé whose name joins two generations: the Denogent family has grown vines in the village since the early twentieth century, and grandmother Andrée Denogent farmed five hectares there. Her grandson Jean-Jacques Robert took over in 1989 and renamed the estate Robert-Denogent, joining his surname to the family name. His sons Nicolas and Antoine joined in 2006 and 2012 and have run the estate since 2015.

The brothers farm 13 hectares split across some thirty parcels stretched over more than thirty kilometres between the Mâconnais and the Beaujolais, on soils the domaine lists as schist, limestone, clay, silt and sandstone. Farming is organic, with the US importer Kermit Lynch listing the estate as certified biodynamic. Harvest is by hand, parcel by parcel at ripeness; fermentations run slow on native yeasts, and the wines are raised for a minimum of two winters, bottled with minimal sulfur and without filtration.

The range runs from Bourgogne Aligoté and Mâcon-Villages Les Sardines through Mâcon-Fuissé Les Tâches and Saint-Véran Les Pommards to a set of Pouilly-Fuissé cuvées including the 1er Crus Les Reisses and Vers Cras. There is also a Beaujolais-Villages named for Jules Chauvet, the La Chapelle-de-Guinchay chemist and negociant regarded as a pioneer of natural winemaking; Kermit Lynch notes the parcel behind it belonged to Chauvet's own family.