Jacoulot

Burgundy

In the heart of Burgundy, Maison Jacoulot has been distilling the region’s signature pinot noir grapes into rich, complex brandies since 1891. Now led by husband and wife duo Philippe Vançon and Anne Pascal, Jacoulot’s brandies and fruit crèmes are a staple in some of the most beloved restaurants on both sides of the Atlantic.

Quick Links

Introducing the Estate

The Essence of Burgundy

Everything has value to the farmer, who uses every last ingredient that nature gives them. Just as generations of farmers in Italy, Spain, or Turkey have distilled the skins and seeds left in their wine presses into a clear, vinous liqueur, French winemakers have long enjoyed their own pomace brandy, called marc.

In the 19th century, Vincent Jacoulot sought to elevate Burgundy’s eau de vie tradition to greater heights of complexity and elegance through meticulous distillation and long, patient aging. Today, Philippe Vançon and Anne Pascal carry on his legacy of producing the finest brandies in Burgundy.

History & Origins

Elevated Eau de Vie

Farmers in Burgundy have been distilling pomace into brandy since the 14th century. In 1581, a royal decree formally approved the distillation of grape pomace in Burgundy, and by the 17th century, local distillers known as “bouilleurs de cru” had become widespread, passing their expertise down through the generations.

Born in 1862 in the small village of Romanèche-Thorins, Vincent Jacoulot grew up between the family inn and his father’s cooperage workshop. In 1891, intent on harnessing the bounty of his native Burgundy, he founded a distillery in the village. At the core of the project was his belief that Burgundy’s grapes needed to be distilled and aged in a manner befitting their lofty pedigree.

With this in mind, he created Maison Jacoulot’s first brandy: L’Authentique Marc de Bourgogne.

Vincent recognized the importance of using only the best fruit in the best condition, and emphasized that the pinot noir for all his brandies was “extra égrappé,” or destemmed—an essential step for quality. He knew that time was the most important factor in mellowing and developing his brandies, so he built a facility that would allow for their long-term storage and aging. The cool, humid cellar meant that the aging process was slow. Very slow. But Vincent’s qualitative and patient approach paid off: he quickly rose to fame in the bouchons of Lyon as the finest producer of Marc de Bourgogne.

The Vision Behind Jacoulot

A New Life for Maison Jacoulot

In 2013, Philippe Vançon and Anne Pascal took on the task of revitalizing and modernizing the venerable distillery. Since then, they have raised Maison Jacoulot to new heights with an intense focus on quality and innovation, using the bounty of local ingredients from their native Burgundy. They are true craftspeople, meticulous in their production methods, and they consistently deliver exquisite brandies and liqueurs from one of the world’s greatest wine regions. With their sons Guillaume and Romain joining the family business, the future is bright for this historic house.

Process & Philosophy

Burgundian Bounty

In the old days, although distillation had become an important tradition in the countryside, many farmers couldn’t afford to purchase a still of their own. To meet this need, traveling distillers known as “bouilleurs ambulants” roamed the countryside with mobile stills, turning farmers’ fruits into eaux-de-vies right at their doorstep.

Today, one of the secrets to Jacoulot’s quality is their use of a mobile alembic still. This allows them to go directly to the source, accessing grape pomace across the Côte de Nuits in its initial, unoxidized state. From these exceptional raw materials, they produce Jacoulot’s signature Marc de Bourgogne as well as Fine de Bourgogne, distilled from wine and wine lees.

Building on Vincent Jacoulot’s dedication to slow aging, Philippe and Anne have stocked the distillery’s extraordinary cellar with barrels from wineries across the Côte de Nuits. In addition to their flagship L’Authentique Marc and Fine, the couple has taken the commitment to aging one step further by bottling “Les Grands Âges”, brandied aged for an average of 25 years, with some of the blend dating back to the distillery’s founding in 1891.

They have also created Petit Brandy, a blend of Marc and Fine de Bourgogne made for the modern bartender. Showcasing pinot noir’s full range of expression, it’s just as at home in modern cocktails as it is in the glass.

Fruit of Other Vines

La Crème de La Crème

Along with its brandies, Maison Jacoulot has a long tradition of distilling fruit crèmes and liqueurs from a wide range of fruits that grow wild throughout Burgundy.

Philippe and Anne use only fresh, ripe, in-season local fruits, which they macerate in neutral grape spirit. Rigorous control of the time the fruit spends macerating ensures the perfect balance between aromatic intensity and texture, supported by the subtle, smooth, and elegant presence of alcohol. Once they’ve decided that the infusion has reached its ideal expression, they press the fruit solids and blend them back into the mixture for double the flavor. The crèmes are then sweetened with natural beet sugar for balance and texture.

The result is not your average fruit crème—these are incredibly concentrated and silky-textured, with flavors that never feel exaggerated or artificial.