Arnaud & Sophie Sirugue

The Sirugue family is historically related to not one but two eminent winemaking dynasties in Vosne-Romanée: Jayer and Grivot. More recently, their family ties with the Gerbet family have led to a redistribution of vineyards. Suzanne Sirugue was married to François Gerbet, and after her passing in 2010, some of her parcels were inherited by the Berthaut family up in Fixin, the main beneficiary, Amélie Berthaut, now running the expanded and renamed Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet. This was my first visit to the domaine, located just round the corner from the former Engel abode, prompted after meeting Jean-Louis Sirugue at the Grands Jours tastings in early 2018. He was joined by his wife Marie-France and son Arnaud, whose wife Sophie Noëllat co-manages Domaine Michel Noëllat. There’s another family connection for you! I have included their Vosne-Romanée Les Barreaux in my notes.

The domaine farms 11 hectares of vines, including their crown jewel of Grands-Echézeaux, and parcels in Les Petits Monts and Les Mombies in Chambolle-Musigny. They have almost a dozen plots scattered across Vosne-Romanée that are blended to create a Vosne-Romanée Village and a Vieilles Vignes. As is customary, I tasted through the components of each blend, and I find clear differences between the two stylistically, the latter displaying darker fruit and a touch more mineralité. Whole bunch fruit is used here, 100% in cases such as the Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Herbues and Grands-Echézeaux. While I would not place the domaine within the top flight of the appellation’s growers, I find these 2017s pleasurable and respectful to their terroirs. They don’t exude the sumptuousness of Cathiard or the precision of Grivot, but most will give drinking pleasure over the next decade and more.