Vosne-Romanée
Six grands crus, including Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, in the village called the pearl of the Côte.
- Wine village
- 25 min from Beaune
- Red wine
- 6 grands crus
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Vosne-Romanée
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir
- Premiers crus
- 14
- Name since
- 1866
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 25 min by road (21 km), €95 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée is a small, calm village with some of the most famous vineyards in the world on its doorstep. Six grands crus lie here, among them Romanée-Conti, La Tâche and Richebourg. Most visitors come to stand by the stone cross at Romanée-Conti and take in the slope.
The wines
Vosne-Romanée is red only, from Pinot Noir. The appellation lies above and below the grands crus, on east-facing limestone mixed with clay marls, from a few tens of centimetres to a metre deep. The wines are velvety and spicy, with ripe strawberry, raspberry, bilberry and blackcurrant, gaining notes of kirsch, leather and game with age. There are 14 premiers crus, three of them wholly or partly in neighbouring Flagey-Échezeaux.
History
Vosne is recorded as early as 630. Its great vineyards were developed by monks, above all those of the Cluniac priory of Saint-Vivant de Vergy, founded in the Hautes-Côtes between 894 and 918. By the 13th century the priory held about 20 hectares here in four clos, one of which, the Clos des Cinq Journaux, would later become Romanée-Conti. The Cistercians of Cîteaux also helped develop these slopes.
In 1760 the Prince de Conti acquired the vineyard that has carried his name ever since. The village added Romanée to its own name in 1866, and the appellation followed in 1936. The Burgundian writer Gaston Roupnel wrote that Burgundy had made nothing better than this little corner. La Grande Rue, between La Tâche and Romanée-Conti, became the sixth grand cru in 1992.
All the grands crusRomanée-Conti · La Romanée · La Tâche · Richebourg · Romanée-Saint-Vivant · La Grande Rue
Well-known premiers crusLes Suchots · Les Beaux Monts · Aux Malconsorts · Cros Parantoux · Aux Brulées · Les Chaumes
What to see
Romanée-Conti
Just above the village, a stone cross and a plaque mark the 1.81-hectare Romanée-Conti, next to Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg. Stay on the lanes and respect the vines.
Rue du Temps Perdu viewpoint
Walk a few hundred metres up the Rue du Temps Perdu, the start of the old monks' path, for a view over Romanée-Conti and the other grands crus below.
Église Saint-Martin
Rebuilt in the late 18th century, the church faces west rather than east. Its carved wood panelling, protected as a historic monument, is said to come from Cîteaux Abbey.
The monks' path to Saint-Vivant
An 11 km walking route follows the monks' way from Vosne up to the ruins of the Abbey of Saint-Vivant, above the Hautes-Côtes village of Curtil-Vergy.
Tips for your visit
Allow 45 minutes to an hour for a walk to Romanée-Conti and the church. Vosne combines naturally with Vougeot and Flagey-Échezeaux to the north and with Nuits-Saint-Georges, just south, for lunch.
Around here
What to combine with Vosne-Romanée on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Vosne-Romanée is about 25 min from Beaune by road (21 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €95 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? La Romanée, just above Romanée-Conti, covers only 0.85 hectares, making it one of the smallest appellations in France. It is one of six grands crus in the village.
Sources
Vosne-Romanée with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests