Jean-Nicolas Méo was a university student in Paris when his father asked him to take over the family domaine in Vosne-Romanée. Though they owned vineyard parcels in prime crus, including Clos de Vougeot, the domaine needed to be reset from scratch. With guidance from the legendary Henri Jayer, Méo-Camuzet became one of the top producers in Burgundy. Then, yearning to explore outside the Côte d’Or, Méo branched out to Oregon, where he and his business partner Jay Boberg make world-class Pinot Noirs—indicative of Burgundy, but distinct in their terroirs—under the Nicolas-Jay label.
Contributing editor Robert Camuto tells the unlikely tale of how the Méos inherited the estate and Jean-Nicolas started out in winemaking without so much as a fermentation tank or pair of pruning shears.
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