Armelle and Bernard Rion are longtime acquaintances in Vosne-Romanée. I’ve visited them twice before during my wanderings through the Côte d’Or.
Armelle is memorable not only for her wines but also for her generous and welcoming nature, always evident during my visits.
These qualities are found in her wines: expressive, even spirited, some well-suited to accompany a good meal.
They own parcels in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, near Beaune, and roughly one hectare in Clos Vougeot.
Each time I return for tastings, I find their style increasingly refined—thanks to Alice, the daughter and oenologist, who has skillfully tamed the tannic extraction, harvest after harvest.
One late autumn, I discovered their truffes noires de Bourgogne (black truffles), foraged in the woods around Chambolle-Musigny with the help of their own truffle dogs—raised by Armelle and Bernard for many years.
How could one resist buying their delicious truffle-based products?
But let’s return to the wines. The tasting was a true journey through the pedo-hill zone stretching from Chambolle-Musigny to Chorey-Lès-Beaune—this latter area part of the vignoble of the Côte de Beaune.
All the vineyards are classified Vieilles Vignes due to their remarkable age: over 80 years! A true wonder to see and touch.
The Tasting
Let’s talk about the tasting. In the shadowy cellar of Armelle and Bernard Rion—accessible from the right side of the D974 (Rue Nationale) heading north, near Vosne-Romanée—leaning on upright barriques used as tasting tables, I sampled each of the wines prepared for my announced visit.
Here are my highlights from the tasting:
– Coteaux Bourgignons Magnatum 2022 – Excellent, score: 89/100
– Savigny-lès-Beaune, Dessus les Verinots 2022 – Excellent, score: 88/100
– Bourgogne La Croix Blanche 2023 – Good, score: 87/100. A solid table wine.
– Chorey-lès-Beaune 2023 – Excellent, score: 88/100
– Pernand-Vergelesses Les Bautières 2022 – Excellent, score: 88/100
– Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes 2023 – Outstanding, score: 90/100 (to be reassessed with a few more years of aging)
– Nuits-Saint-Georges Dame Marguerite 2022 – Outstanding, score: 90/100
– Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2018 – A version of this Grand Cru with a slightly sauvage profile. Restrained elegance. Outstanding, score: 92/100!
Visit conducted in March 2025
Domaine Rion
8 Route Nationale – Vosne-Romanée
Tel: +33 (0)3 80 61 05 31
📧 rion@domainerion.fr
🌐 www.domainerion.fr
