For a long time, the English have been overshadowed in the wine world by their French counterparts — the cooler, less consistent UK climate has meant that only certain hardier grape varieties thrive there. But things are changing, and with shifting temperatures and better viticultural practices, the south of England may increasingly challenge regions across the Channel — after all, it shares geological similarities with northern France.
Sometimes, an English wine-lover goes one step further and relocates to France to make wine. That is exactly what happened with Englishman Stephen Whitehead, who met his future wife, Delphine Rebourgeon, from Burgundy — and became part of the story of Domaine Rebourgeon, an unusual one amongst Burgundy winemakers.
The Domaine’s history is fascinating and unusually long. The estate traces its roots back to 1540. More recently, Delphine’s grandmother, Marie married Emile Claude Rebourgeon, from whom the current name of the domaine derives. One of their sons, Michel, took over part of the estate in 1964.
Stephen Whitehead, meanwhile, had been running a wine business in the UK during the 1980s. It was during that time that he met Delphine. When Michel approached retirement, Stephen left his UK business and joined the family domaine in Burgundy. Their son, William Whitehead, now leads the estate and is widely recognized as a rising talent in the region amongst Burgundy winemakers.
Today the estate works 4.25 hectares of vines (≈10.5 acres) distributed across the communes of Pommard, Beaune and Volnay. Annual production is around 20,000 bottles.
To read more about other Burgundy appellations and the Burgundy winemakers that work there, why not visit our website and learn about them?
In the cellar and vineyard, the Domaine Rebourgeon emphasises tradition, minimal intervention and respect for terroir. For example, they carry out much of the vineyard work themselves: pruning, green-picking, tilling instead of herbicides. In the 2020 vintage they recorded very low yields (≈28-30 hl/ha) on their first year of organic conversion. For the “La Vache” cuvée (from vines planted in 1902 on the La Vache parcel) the 2021 vintage came from up to 120-year-old vines, with tiny production (just two barrels!) and is already earning acclaim.
From Our Cellar: the Best of Burgundy Winemakers
Here at burgundywine.com we stock a number wines from Domaine Rebourgeon – all at the best prices you will find, and all with shipping included on cases to the mainland USA.
- Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards: A graceful Volnay, offering a delicate nose of red fruits, flowers and gentle spice. The palate is silky and elegant, with fine tannins, lively freshness and a long, refined finish.
- Pommard 1er Cru ‘Les Rugiens’: If there ever were to be a Grand Cru in Pommard, it would be Rugiens. Many call it the Richebourg of the Cote de Beaune. The Domaine Rebourgeon owns a tiny slice of under a half an acre.
- Bourgogne Cote d’Or Rouge: Expressive Pinot with both power and fruit: the power of the Pommard terroir with deep ripeness. An amazingly charming nose and a wine that drinks above its appellation.