Fun Red Burgundies from the Cote de Beaune: Nathalie Richez and Rouges-Queues
10/7/25 -
It seems as though we are finally about to get some cool temperatures here in the Northeast, which means it is time for some bright, and energetic Red Burgundies. Today I am highlighting two incredible producers that are making wines in the southernmost point of the Cote de Beaune: Nathalie Richez as well as Isabelle and Jean-Yves Vantey of Domaine de Rouges Queues have both started off very small and have been built truly from the ground up. Today, we highlight their fantastic wines that are terroir driven and lively!
Not born into a winemaking family, Nathalie built her now 12 hectare domaine parcel by parcel beginning in 2011. Prior to starting her own project, she was a vineyard manager for other domaines in Burgundy and made a great reputation for nailing the harvest year after year. Her vineyards span from the Southern end of the Cote de Beaune and go into the Cote Chalonnaise. She works without chemicals in the vineyard and regularly aerates the soil. In the cellar everything is destemmed, all wines undergo spontaneous fermentation, and sulfur is only applied after malolactic is completed. Even though she farms 12 hectares, she only bottles about 3 1/2 hectares' worth of wine, selling the remainder of her fruit to Jadot and Drouhin. Her wines are friendly, approachable, and full of personality. Tasting through, the wines were just fun to drink! I am excited to showcase her Santenay Rouge and Santenay 1er Cru Beauregard as they were two standouts from her fantastic lineup of wines.
Isabelle and Jean-Yves Vantey are the dynamic duo behind Domaine des Rouges-Queues, a fairly small domaine located in Maranges. When created in 1998, they held just 1 hectare of Pinot Noir vines in Maranges, but today their vineyards encompass 6 hectares and has spread a little further outside of Maranges (think Santenay and Hautes-Cotes de Beaune). Isabelle and Jean-Yves want the terroir of their vines to be highlighted, and they believe that their practice of organic and biodynamic farming along with gentle vinification lets the wines shine through. Since its inception, they have worked the vines without any chemicals and made the full transition to biodynamics in 2008.
Upon tasting the recent release I am excited to share how excellent these wines are! True to their style, they have an incredible balance of fruit and earth with texture and amazing acid. These are lively, fun and food friendly wines perfect for your fall table.
-Hanna Krilov Cohen
