On the lands surrounding Rully
The History
Birth of Domaine Belleville
Domaine Belleville came into being at the beginning of the 20th century in the land surrounding Rully. Since its creation it is one of this appellation's better-known domaines. The village of Rully is steeped in history since many traces of Gallo-Roman remains have been found in the most well-known Climats, Cloux and Raboucé, which is the original site of the village.
853
In more recent history, the name of Rully appears on the cartulary of the Saint-Bénigne Abbey in Dijon in 853. This powerful abbey, which owned famous Climats in Côte de Nuits, also wanted to own vineyards in the village of Rully. The powerful lords of Vergy, settled close to Nuits Saint Georges, also owned domaines here before the Dukes of Burgundy arrived. In the Middle Ages there were no fewer than three Châteaux in Rully, which demonstrates the strategic importance of the village. Only one remains today.
The 20th Century
It is in this historical context that the Belleville family created the eponymous domain in Rully at the beginning of the 20th century and then extended their property ownership to include the neighbouring village of Mercurey.
The village of Mercurey also enjoys an extensive history, since humans first settled there more than 40,000 years ago. During the Gallo-Roman period a temple dedicated to the god Mercury was constructed and after several linguistic evolutions, gave its name to the village of Mercurey.
At a later stage, the Belleville domaine extended its property ownership to include certain appellations located to the north of Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay.
In 2002 and 2017
Following a number of issues, the domaine was sold to a Swiss family in 2002 and 2008 and was acquired by its current owners in 2017, an American couple who are passionate about the French art of living, and its director, Jean-Luc Vitoux.
They are also the owners of the champagne production company Leclerc Briant, acquired in 2012, a small trading company named Parcellaires de Saulx located in Meursault and the Château de la Commaraine and its monopoly vintage Clos of 4 hectares located in Pommard.
The wines of Rully have always been highly sought-after and King Louis XIII was particularly fond of them.