Domaine Jacqueson
Rully, Côte Maconnaise, Bourgogne | France
Henri Jacqueson is 83 now. He celebrated his 75th
birthday by cutting back his work week to 5 days, 4 hours a day, all
in the vineyards. Henri’s only son, Paul, is a worthy successor. He
inherited all of his father’s energy and then some. The family is of
Welsh origin. The name is pronounced ZHACK-son. In the days of the
Sun King it was chic to have Welsh guards (like the Pope has Swiss
guards today). The first Jacqueson in France was appreciated by
Louis XIV and he detailed him to Marguerite, Duchess of Burgundy
when he owed her a favor. When Jacqueson retired Marguerite granted
him farmland in the village of Rully. Today’s Jacquesons don’t speak
English but their faces still reflect their origins. The Rully
appellation existed before WW II, but in the previous 20 years only
one bottling of 100 cases had been made. It obviously didn’t sell
well because it wasn’t repeated. Still Henri decided to become a
winegrower. He first planted Chardonnay in Rully 1er Cru ‘Gresigny’,
then Pinot Noir in Rully 1er Cru ‘Les Cloux’. These vineyards are
now about 55 years old and are Jacqueson’s flagship wines.
office (206)
332-1995