The resurrection of Domaine Nicole Lamarche continues to gather momentum, to the extent that this once decidedly old-school Domaine, widely considered underperforming relative to its terroir, is now viewed as among the upper tiers of all Burgundy producers. With an enviable portfolio of brilliant terroirs, the jewel in the crown being the monopole La Grand Rue, wedged between Romanee-Conti, La Romanee and La Tache, and constant evolution in the vineyards, the Domaine is now producing energetic, elegant wines that perfectly encapsulate their underlying terroir.
A family Domaine for six generations, Nicole Lamarche completed her studies in oenology and rejoined her father at the Domaine in the early 2000s, ultimately taking control of operations in 2006. Since taking complete control, Nicole set about improving all aspects of operations. Vineyard practices were changed to organic cultivation, with some biodynamic principles. La Grand Rue is still being ploughed by horse. The barrel suppliers were altered with the Domaine now using low-impact Stockinger oak, with a lower proportion of new wood (20-30% for Premier Crus and 30-40% for the Grand Crus, depending on the vintage), and the equipment in the winery was updated to modern standards, including a gravity-fed cuverie and new cooling equipment.
The wines now being produced by the Domaine are a world apart from those it made 20 years ago, and Nicole renamed the Domaine in her own name in 2018 to appropriately reflect these changes.
But it is not all good news. For years, Nicole worked closely with her cousin Natalie, both of whom had an ownership interest in the vines. Unfortunately, Natalie decided to take her share of vines out of the Domaine, so the terroir makeup has changed from the 2022 vintage onwards. There is no longer any Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru ‘Croix Rameau’, Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru ‘Malconsorts’ or Grands Echezeaux. These had to be ceded to retain the La Grand Rue monopole.
The 2022 vintage once again proves that the direction Nicole is taking the domaine in is one of finesse, elegance and balance. The wines are ethereal in their weight yet carry a stoic persistence, evolving endlessly on the palate. Our allocation of these wines is minimal, to say the least, and the 2022 Burgundies continue to prove it is indeed a fantastic vintage. Make sure to order as soon as possible to avoid missing out.