Monopole
A vineyard or appellation that is entirely owned by a single producer — meaning all wine from that site is made by one estate. Especially notable in Burgundy, where ownership is typically fragmented.
In depth
In Burgundy, most vineyards — even Grand Crus — are divided among many owners (morcellement). A monopole breaks this pattern: one producer owns 100% of the vineyard. This is rare and often commercially significant, as it means a single winemaker's vision is applied to the entire site without competition.
Famous Burgundy monopoles include: Romanée-Conti (Grand Cru — entirely owned by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, one of the world's most expensive wines); La Tâche (Grand Cru — also DRC); Clos des Lambrays (Grand Cru — Domaine des Lambrays); Clos de la Roche-style vineyards with monopole portions.
Outside Burgundy, the concept applies to any single-owner site: La Tour Haut-Brion in Bordeaux was historically a monopole-style wine. Some Champagne houses own specific monopole vineyard parcels.
The commercial value of a monopole is that the producer has exclusive rights to use the site name — no competitor can label a wine with the same vineyard name.
Related exam topics
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Romanée-Conti a monopole?
- Romanée-Conti is a 1.8-hectare Grand Cru vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, owned entirely by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC). The vineyard has been a monopole since the 18th century — DRC owns 100% of the vines and makes all the wine. This exclusivity, combined with the vineyard's exceptional terroir and DRC's winemaking reputation, contributes to Romanée-Conti being the world's most expensive wine (often €15,000–€30,000+ per bottle at auction).
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Practise questions on this topic
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