Our ‘Spotlight On’ series is a great chance to celebrate some of our favourite wines and producers. In this edition we are exploring Domaine Rois Mages and their fabulous wine Les Cailloux.
Who Are Domaine Rois Mages?
Domaine Rois Mages is a family winery in the heart of the Rully Burgundy region, crafting exceptional Pinot Noir wines that express the unique Burgundy terroir. Founded in the 1980s, the domaine began when Anne Sophie and her husband, captivated by the Rully wine region‘s beauty, purchased a plot of vines in the village of Rully. Anne Sophie, supported by her husband, a doctor, embarked on her dream of producing good Pinot Noir and great Pinot Noir wines.
Today, this Rully wine estate encompasses 11 hectares and is led by their son, Felix, a passionate oenologist and winemaker. After traveling the world and honing his expertise, Felix returned to the family Burgundy estate in 2009. His dedication is to creating best Pinot Noir wines that honour both the traditions of Burgundy and the distinct characteristics of each plot.
With seven distinct plots under their careful stewardship, Domaine Rois Mages meticulously adapts their viticulture and winemaking practices to each individual vineyard and vintage. This commitment to respecting the grapes and understanding the nuances of the Rully terroir allows them to produce Pinot Noir red wine of exceptional quality. They are truly dedicated to crafting Rully Burgundy wines that are a testament to the region’s potential and the family’s passion.
What Is Rully?
Rully is a village within the Challonaise area of Burgundy, France. It’s just south of the famous Cote D’or and produces amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundy (Also known as Bourgogne in France) is widely regarded as one of, if not the most prestigious area in the world for wine production. It’s located in eastern/central France. See our map below of Rully and Burgundy.
What is Les Cailloux?
Les Cailloux is the name of the vineyard in which the Pinot Noir grapes for this wine were picked. Les Cailloux can be translated to ‘pebbles’. So the whole wine translates as ‘The Pebbles Red’. The significance of this is because they are trying to tell us that the grapes were grown on pebbled/limestone soil.
Domaine Rois Mages Rully Les Cailloux is an extremely juicy wine. The juiciest Pinot Noir I’ve ever tasted. It’s extremely elegant but it gives so much. It’s silky, it’s smooth, it’s complex and it’s full wonderful cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit notes.
The wine spends one year in oak before being bottled and this imparts beautiful complexity and subtle savoury notes to the wine. There’s delicate tannins in the wine and the alcohol sits at 13.5%, which gives a little more weight to the mouthfeel.
Overall, this is just an exquisite wine.
Food Pairing
This is a versatile wine that can lend itself to both white and dark meat. However, in this instance I would recommend something quite simple and rustic. Roast chicken with garlic mushrooms and dauphinoise potatoes. Easy, hearty but not too overpowering.