Domaine Prieuré Roch is something of a cult, minimal-intervention Burgundy producer with vineyard holdings throughout the Côte d'Or but mostly concentrated in Nuit-Saint-Georges. Wines are made from a number of designated appellations with Pinot Noir red wines in preponderance. However, the estate also has Chardonnay vineyards in the Côte de Beaune.
The estate was founded in 1988 by Henri-Frédéric Roch - a member of the Leroy family and co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992. The "prieuré" (meaning "priory" in French) was appended by Roch himself.
Prieuré Roch was established with just two hectares (five acres) of vineyards divided between four different parcels in Vosne Romanée. These parcels had, at the time, been sold off by Romanée-Conti in order finance the acquisition of a larger portion of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant site.
The estate now boasts more than 14 hectares (34 acres) with a strong majority in Nuit-Saint-Georges. The domaine's holdings include a number of highly-regarded grand and premier cru vineyards.
It is arguably best known for the uncommonly large, five-hectare (12 acre) premier cru monopole, the Clos de Corvées in the southern Premeaux-Prissey commune of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. Unsurprisingly, however, despite the recognition of its premier cru parcels, its grand cru wines from Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze and Clos de Vougeot command higher prices.
Prieuré Roch also produces wines from the Vosne-Romanée premier cru Les Scuhots as well as other, village-level, holdings in the commune. In 2010, the estate expanded further with the acquisition of a few hectares in the Côte de Beaune from which it produces its Ladoix Chardonnay.
The vineyards are all managed using organic farming practices. The domaine has also gained a reputation for its strict low yield productions enforced in the early 1990s.
Vines now produce roughly 18 hectoliters per hectare, in contrast with many grand cru AOC regulations that allow for up to 35 hectoliters. The winery harvests and ferments the grapes whole-cluster in every vintage. Punchdowns are done by foot and any "remontage", or splashing over of the fermenting juice, is done by hand/gravity.
Prieuré Roch also works to encourages fermentation from naturally-occurring yeasts and sulfur is only used in small amounts at racking. Barrels are stacked at an angle to concentrate lees build-up in a corner of the barrel below the tap-hole.
The distinctive "glyph" of the domaine is from Ancient Egypt and represents two yellow mouths (the devine, or natural, eye above the human eye) above three red "eggs", symbolizing grapes. To the left is a papyrus leaf, representing both vegetation and the scribe, or record-keeper.
