In 2002, Hélène Jaeger-Defaix reconnected with the earth of her ancestors in the Côte Chalonnaise when she took over a parcel from her great aunt: the premier cru Mont-Palais in Rully. Her great grandfather Henri Niepce worked for 30 years to give Rully an AOC and thus its great reputation. Today, the domaine spans 6 hectares and has expanded to include village appellations, the red Préaux premier cru and the white Rabourcé premier cru. It also boasts a monopole: Clos du Chapitre. Organically cultivated since 2009, soil work includes ridging and tilling to aerate the earth. No chemical inputs are used and the domaine relies only on small doses of sulphur and copper. Hélène Jaeger Defaix, who studied agronomy and oenology, works the vines with her husband Didier Defaix, a Chablis winemaker.

With this Rully Premier Cru, the domain allows the Pinot Noir to express itself in all its elegant glory. This varietal benefits from organic cultivation in clay-limestone soils. Harvested by hand, the fruit is de-stemmed and undergoes cold maceration for several days before fermentation, with daily pump-overs for two weeks. The wine is then matured in (50% new) wooden barrels for a year and a half. Red fruits and cherries are pronounced in tasting, along with hints of spice deriving from the maturation. An especially fine and sophisticated wine, it pairs perfectly with poultry and cheese. For drinking within its first ten years.