LA ROGERIE

Francois Petit was born and raised in Avize, spending time and learning with Selosse. In 2015, Francois took the reins from his father and is steering La Rogerie towards new heights with his wife, Justine Boxler – from the ancient Alsatian Boxler Family.

However, neither Francois nor Justine, left their respective ancestral homes, instead they are making superb wines from both regions. From the moment Francois and Justine began directing the estate in 2015, the farming changed – sustainability and the health of the vineyards are of the utmost priority.

Their vineyards are in Avize and extend to the border of Cramant and Oger. These vineyards are known famously for their chalky, rich soils made up of marine fossils. Francois and Justine work carefully with horses and lightweight tractors to ensure minimal compacting of the soil. They have eliminated herbicides and pesticides, and use homemade organic compost from their farm animals. The goal is to encourage natural growth and development of organic biodiversity in the vineyards and further showcase the purest form of terroir.

The vision is to have a home and farm that supports their winemaking ideology. “We use the rest of our field seeds-oats, wheat, barley, mustard… to be sowed during winter into the vineyard to avoid having to protect the soils with anything other than natural protection. This increases the biomass and creates less compaction in the soil. The vines were planted between 1937 and 1961 therefore the entire vineyard is composed of very old vines, massale selection”