Romain Lançon’s name seemed to come out of nowhere. In late 2025 I was forwarded images by multiple wine nerds of a discreet looking bottle in a rare post by Alexandre Jouveaux of Romain’s Les Farbottes 2023, asking if I knew anything about it. I didn’t at the time, but I was fortuitous enough to have found a couple of bottles not long after on a perfectly timed trip to France. I mean, even in France these are hard to come by. Upon returning home to Los Angeles, a bottle was uncapped and what was inside was an absolutely beautiful and deep red wine, profound and full of anise and spiced red fruits, the perfect volatile lift. I got in touch shortly thereafter. 

Romain spent time working for Alexandre Jouveaux and Maryse Chatelin, and soon after he and his partner found their footing not too far from Uchizy in Jalogny, an area historically significant for its deep ties to the influential Cluny Abbey, and specifically an agricultural hub for the monks. It is here that the Lançons farm Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Passing through this remote part of Burgundy, one feels a sense of quiet mystery and intrigue, of deeply rooted history far from the daily rumblings of the conventional Chardonnay makers in the Mâcon. This enigma is also felt in the glass. Even at 14.5% in 2023 there is a softness and lightness that pulls the drinker in for more with each sip of Lançon’s juice. We drank it in the middle of the afternoon with nary a sip of water, high as hell after and simply wanting more.