Domaine François Lamarche – Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru La Croix Rameau 2016 – Burgundy France

La Croix Rameau is one of the smallest premiers crus in Vosne-Romanée, tucked against Romanée-Saint-Vivant. It is also a wine the domaine no longer makes: the parcel left in the 2021 family split and now belongs to Comte Liger-Belair, so bottles under the Lamarche name stop here.

🍷 At a Glance

• Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
• Appellation: Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru La Croix Rameau
• Region: Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
• Vintage: 2016
• Producer: Domaine François Lamarche
• Winemaker: Nicole Lamarche
• Estate: Around 11 hectares at the time, including the 1.65-hectare grand cru monopole La Grande Rue, plus Clos de Vougeot, Échézeaux and Grands Échézeaux
• Farming: Organic from 2010, moving toward biodynamics
• Winemaking: Hand-harvested, sorted in the vineyard and again in the winery, low yields, with new oak progressively reduced
• Serving temperature: 15–17°C
• Style: Dry red wine

👃 Tasting Notes & Experience

• Color: Bright, medium ruby
• Nose: Red fruit with the spice and floral lift characteristic of Vosne
• Palate: Fragrant and refined rather than powerful — the style Nicole Lamarche has built the domaine around
• Structure: Fine tannins, elegantly drawn
• Finish: Long and perfumed

The Lamarche family has been in Vosne-Romanée since the late 1700s, and on the maternal side since around 1740. The modern estate was built by Henri Lamarche, a cooper, in the early twentieth century, and Édouard Lamarche bought La Grande Rue at auction in 1933 — the narrow strip of vines running down the slope between Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, later promoted to grand cru. François Lamarche, the fifth generation, ran the domaine from 1985; his daughter Nicole took charge of the winemaking from the 2006 vintage and the labels were renamed in her own name from 2018. This 2016 therefore carries her father's name but is her wine, from the years when critics began describing the estate's rebirth.

❤️ Why We Love It

• A cru the domaine no longer owns — the Lamarche run ends with these vintages
• One of the smallest premiers crus in Vosne, beside Romanée-Saint-Vivant
• From the estate behind the La Grande Rue monopole

🍽️ Food Pairing Ideas

• Roast poultry, guinea fowl and game birds
• Mushrooms, truffle and root vegetables
• Aged Comté and soft washed-rind cheeses

👤 Who This Wine Is For

✓ Collectors who want a cuvée that has ceased to exist under this label
✓ Drinkers who prefer fragrance and refinement to weight
✕ Not ideal if you want a big, structured Vosne