The name Richebourg literally means “rich town”, but how the vineyard acquired the name is not clear. The 8-hectare (20-acre) site is the second-largest grand cru in Vosne-Romanée, just slightly smaller than Romanee-Saint-Vivant. It is of average size when compared with all Burgundy Grand Crus, but those in Vosne-Romanée are known for the fine-grained definition of their boundaries and terroir. In fact, the Richebourg vineyard increased in size in the 1920s, as one producer successfully lobbied the local government to have their land included within the boundaries.

Richebourg lies on the same part of the slope as Romanée-Conti, and the two share a similar terroir. The soils here are made up of pebbly clay and sand overlying a hard limestone base. This friable soil, along with the gradient, means that the vineyard is well-drained, which helps reduce disease pressure as well as limiting leafy vigor, giving concentrated, balanced grapes. Richebourg’s easterly aspect also contributes to the terroir, giving the vines access to the morning sun while protecting them from cold westerly winds.

In terms of ownership, Richebourg is a kind of stepping stone between the fragmented plots of Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux to the north and the monopoles that characterize the rest of Vosne-Romanée’s grand crus. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti owns just less than half of Richebourg’s land, and Domaine Leroy, Anne Gros and Gros Frère et Soeur also have plots in the vineyard. The legendary Henri Jayer made a Richebourg wine until his retirement in 2001 – the remaining bottles are some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world.