A little-known Romanee St-Vivant going toe-to-toe with the big guns
Domaine Poisot is not a widely known Burgundy producer – please read on for some background – but their Romanee St Vivant is precisely the same wine as that under the Follin-Arbelet label.
There is no Inside Burgundy rating of Domaine Poisot’s 2021 Romanee St Vivant but Jasper Morris MW does score the Follin-Arbelet version 92-95pts, noting that the wine was actually made by their cousins the Poisot family. On that basis, it is very interesting to note that Jasper awards Follin-Arbelet / Poisot 92-95pts – within touching distance of the 95/100 in-bottle rating he gives to 2021 Romanee St Vivant from the storied DRC!
Given the striking price differential, the Poisot wine with the potential to match the DRC score becomes a compelling proposition. That’s a full 6-pack of Poisot for less than the price of a bottle of DRC!
The Back Story
This is what I learned about Domaine Poisot, using the excellent WineHog website from Steen Öhman.
The Poisot family own nearly half a hectare of Romanee St Vivant, making them the fifth largest land holder in the Grand Cru. DRC dominate the vineyard with 5.29ha whilst Cathiard has just 0.17ha. What’s more, Öhman identifies the Poisot plot as occupying perhaps the prime sector of RSV – just upslope from Cathiard, Dujac and Arnoux Lachaux, hard against the border with the Romanee Conti vineyard.
Remi Poisot took over the family estate in 2010 and this appears to be the point at which focus shifted from supplying fruit to negociants to domaine bottling. Apparently Poisot was the source of Joseph Drouhin’s RSV in the past.
As I dug further into the story of the domaine I learned that the Poisots are cousins of our friends at Domaine Follin-Arbelet. In fact, Follin-Arbelet do not own any land in RSV and their bottling comes 100% from Domaine Poisot.
The process is that Franck and Simon Follin-Arbelet do the harvest work for their cousins and the wine is then made at and by Domaine Poisot. Remi Poisot then sells a portion of his production to Franck and Simon and this is the Follin-Arbelet RSV.
When it comes to sheer aromatic complexity, perfume, elegance and grace al wrapped in unmatched finesse, few wines can equal a genuinely great Romanee St Vivant
– Allen Meadows, ‘Pearl of the Cote’
This has been a typically Burgundian knot to untangle but is also something of a buying coup. RSV is probably my favourite Grand Cru and so, intrigued, I tracked down a bottle of Domaine Poisot 2021 to taste for myself. My note is below but suffice to say I was very impressed – 95/100 – especially in terms of texture and finesse.
- A rarely seen Romanee St Vivant.
- From perhaps the finest section of this famous terroir.
- Score rivalling DRC.
- Offered in volume and without in any tie-ins to junior wines.
- Precisely the same wine as the Follin-Arbelet Romanee St Vivant, but under the label of the domaine that owns the vines and makes the wine.
Do let us know if you would like to add a case of this little-known yet intriguing RSV to your cellar.
Have a great weekend,
Matthew Hemming MW
The Offer
Immediately available from our SG cellars. Offered subject to remaining unsold.
2021 Domaine Poisot Pere et Fils
Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru
SGD $4,110 ($4,479.90 inc GST) per case (6*75cl OC)
18 cases available
Subtle, at first almost understated, but really rather beautiful and of great length. Red fruit and earth dominate the nose. It’s an aroma that could appear quite fleeting, and quickly dissipates with too much glass swirling but, just left alone, really builds and intensifies in the glass. Also gains in floral qualities. Very fresh and lifted, with suggestions of 2021’s ‘crunch’ yet no under-ripeness or green. At this young stage it is compact and linear on the palate but the fine-spun finesse of the tannin and the persistence of flavour clearly demonstrate quality and class. This shows the elegance of the vineyard in terms of scent, texture and finesse but feels like it will be a slow burner in the cellar and needs plenty of time. I keep looking for spice; right now I don’t find it but the persistence and purity of fruit is exquisite.
95/100 – Matthew Hemming MW
Jasper Morris’s en primeur note for the same wine but under the Follin-Arbelet label:
The Follins pick the grapes for their cousins at Domaine Poiset, who then vinify the wine and sell some back to Follin-Arbelet. Vibrant rich purple. There is clearly plenty of energy here but it is hard to see the detail. There is rich deep raspberry juice behind, slightly monolithic today though that is more a question of youth than lack of class.
92-95pts – Jasper Morris MW / Inside Burgundy
Terms & Conditions
Offer ends on Friday 12th July l No further discount l Immediate payment required l Delivery fees ($32.72) waived for purchases above $500 before GST excluding airports | Cancellation of orders not allowed l Orders to be collected/delivered within 3 months upon stock availability l Offered Ex-Singapore & subject to remaining unsold