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Domaine Roblet-Monnot (Bligny-les-Beaune)
Pascal Roblet lives in Volnay, next door to the Lafarge family, but works out of a small facility in the tiny hamlet Bligny-les-Beaune. Located in no man’s land below the N74, Bligny-les-Beaune is an unlikely place to find a top domaine. In the late 1990’s, Pascal took over his family domaine and quickly transformed it into one of the leading sources of Volnay and Pommard. Pascal works very hard in the vineyards and has adopted techniques that used are used by several of Burgundy’s top estates. The domaine’s 6 hectares were converted to biodynamic viticulture in 1997 and a horse was retained to plow the soil. The yields are very low, rarely exceeding 30 hectoliters per hectare.
The majority of Domaine Roblet-Monnot’s holdings are in Volnay, but there is a lone parcel in Pommard. From the obscure premier cru Arvelots, Pascal makes a lush, concentrated wine that avoids the firm tannins often associated with this village. The heart of the portfolio lies in Volnay where Pascal produces one village and five premier cru cuvees. The St. Francois bottling is a blend of several vineyards in Volnay, some of which are premier cru. Rich and dense on the palate, this wine offers tremendous value. Brouillards sits on the Pommard border, which is reflected in the wine's full, powerful structure. Santenots, which is actually located in Meursault, produces a rich, round wine with long aging potential. The premier cru Piture-Desssus ajoins the well known Clos des Ducs, but it is rarely seen. Pascal owns 60 year old vines in this vineyard and from it comes a fragrant, earthy wine. The domaine's top Volnay is produced from the Taillepieds vineyard, which lies in the best section of the village. Deep, rich and very complex, Roblet-Monnot’s bottling is a stunning example of Volnay.
Pascal uses a very light touch in the cellar. A vibrating sorting table is used to ensure that only the most pristine fruit enters the cellar. Only a small percentage of the stems are retained and no wine sees more than 25% new oak. The resulting wines are rich, concentrated and intensely fragrant. Until recently, Pascal shared his facility with Cecile Tremblay and their wines bear strong stylistic similarities. Unfortunately, like Tremblay, the production is small and the press has caught to the high quality of the wines.
The majority of Domaine Roblet-Monnot’s holdings are in Volnay, but there is a lone parcel in Pommard. From the obscure premier cru Arvelots, Pascal makes a lush, concentrated wine that avoids the firm tannins often associated with this village. The heart of the portfolio lies in Volnay where Pascal produces one village and five premier cru cuvees. The St. Francois bottling is a blend of several vineyards in Volnay, some of which are premier cru. Rich and dense on the palate, this wine offers tremendous value. Brouillards sits on the Pommard border, which is reflected in the wine's full, powerful structure. Santenots, which is actually located in Meursault, produces a rich, round wine with long aging potential. The premier cru Piture-Desssus ajoins the well known Clos des Ducs, but it is rarely seen. Pascal owns 60 year old vines in this vineyard and from it comes a fragrant, earthy wine. The domaine's top Volnay is produced from the Taillepieds vineyard, which lies in the best section of the village. Deep, rich and very complex, Roblet-Monnot’s bottling is a stunning example of Volnay.
Pascal uses a very light touch in the cellar. A vibrating sorting table is used to ensure that only the most pristine fruit enters the cellar. Only a small percentage of the stems are retained and no wine sees more than 25% new oak. The resulting wines are rich, concentrated and intensely fragrant. Until recently, Pascal shared his facility with Cecile Tremblay and their wines bear strong stylistic similarities. Unfortunately, like Tremblay, the production is small and the press has caught to the high quality of the wines.