Rijckaert

Jean Rijckaert started making wine in Burgundy as the co-founder of the Verget negociant. In 1998, when the Domaine Rijckaert was created, he initially bought four hectares of vineyards mainly in the Viré-Clessé area. A visionary and an enthusiast for the Jura region he also bought five hectares in Arbois. Rijckaert can lay claim to being the first to vinify wines in both the Maconnais and Jura.  

Today the estate is owned and run by Jean’s protege, Florent Rouve. Florent first studied forestry and then agricultural engineering taking part-time jobs in vineyards and wine cellars to pay for his education. Deciding to make it his career, he studied oenology in Dijon. In 2007 he became the steward at the Domaine des Poncetys, the Macon-Davaye college’s winery and from 2013 at Domaine Rijckaert when Jean retired. 

Each region has its own wine cellar, so they can work as close as possible to the vines. Maconnais wine is made in Davayé, and in Jura, it is made in Villette-Les-Arbois.

The same methods are used on the vines in Burgundy and Jura. The aim is to foster the autonomous development of the plant by boosting its own immunity to fungal disease. They foster biodiversity in the vineyards, where chemicals are never used. Treatments are based on copper and sulphur only, along with plant-based fertilisers to help the chlorophyll to thrive in the vine and decrease the amounts of copper they use. 

All wines are fermented with native yeasts, lees are disturbed only during racking i.e. no battonage, and all wines are aged for a minimum of 18 months. Despite the length of time Florent aims for a fresh style and particularly in Jura. 

Domaine Rijckaert believes that wine first of all is a drink, and that everyone should be able to enjoy it without feeling intimidated. Wines should be dynamic, refreshing, festive and made for sharing. One glass should lead to another and the bottle should seem too small. The winery has a strong attachment to the social and cultural dimension of wine.