Hautes Côtes de Nuits VV rouge 2024 Domaine Olivier Jouan

The Hautes Côtes de Nuits Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2024 from Domaine Olivier Jouan is an entry point into the world of a discreet, exacting vigneron whose philosophy and wines remain largely beneath the radar of major guides, yet bring joy to thoughtful collectors who have discovered him. A Nuits-style Pinot Noir of frankness, precision and vitality that says everything about Olivier Jouan's approach: very low yields, an openly organic philosophy, and a light hand in the cellar to let terroir and old vines express themselves freely.

The terroir and vines

Olivier Jouan comes from Morey-Saint-Denis, born into a six-generation vineyard family whose grapes attracted respected merchants like Bouchard and Drouhin each year. Trained at Beaune's wine school, he settled in Arcenant in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits in 1999 with his wife Isabelle, in a 17th-century house with an ideal cellar. His 8.5-hectare domaine is managed almost entirely by himself: Olivier works alone in his vineyards throughout the year, without seeking organic certification, which he views as administrative formality beside the deeper conviction guiding every gesture. The Vieilles Vignes cuvée comes from a parcel of old Pinot Noir vines planted on the back slopes, on the clay-limestone and stony soils of the hills and valleys overlooking the Côte de Nuits between 400 and 450 metres altitude. This elevation is crucial: it imposes natural freshness and slow maturation on the Pinot Noir, concentrating aromas and preserving the grapes' natural acidity with a precision the Côte vineyards cannot always achieve. Yields are strictly limited through summer pruning and rigorous selection at harvest. Ageing lasts 15 months in oak barrels with a moderate proportion of new wood, for elegantly integrated oak.

Tasting profile

The robe is a deep, luminous ruby with violet hints, profoundly coloured as the Hachette Guide notes. The nose is refined and powerful on red fruit, with elegant, discreet oak: fresh cherry, raspberry, violet and a light touch of undergrowth and soft spices make up a bouquet of remarkable frankness and precision. The organic approach and low yields read directly in the wine's aromatic clarity and liveliness, without any heaviness or lack of definition. On the palate, the tannins are ripe and their extraction particularly delicate, with silky, well-integrated texture. The material is concentrated and precise, carried by fresh, well-integrated acidity that brings tension and length to an ensemble of remarkable drinkability and frankness. The finish is clean, fruity and slightly mineral, with pleasant persistence. A back-slope Pinot Noir of such sincerity and value that it puts many Côte villages to shame.

The domaine

Olivier Jouan is a discreet but dedicated vigneron, still very confidential and largely beneath the radar of guides and wine press. His 8.5-hectare domaine includes, beyond these Hautes Côtes de Nuits, parcels in Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots and La Riotte, Chambolle-Musigny Les Bussières, and Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. He has made clear, deliberate choices since the start of his career: quality over quantity, organic approach, low yields, rigorous selection. Wines that deserve to be far better known.

Food pairing

This Hautes Côtes de Nuits Vieilles Vignes pairs beautifully with herb-roasted poultry, rabbit in a wild mushroom casserole, fine country terrine, Burgundian jambon persillé, fresh pasta with mushrooms, or soft-paste cheeses like young Époisses or Brillat-Savarin. Served between 14 and 16 °C, slightly cool, it will reveal all the fruity frankness, natural tension and sincerity of a back-slope Pinot Noir signed by one of the Côte de Nuits' most upright and confidential vignerons.