Santenay is a very old village. Its name is mentioned in the liturgical books of Our Lady of Beaune in 1271 and 1289. Philippe Le Hardi owned a fortified house here in 1376, which became the property of Guillaume de Villersin in 1470. In reality, there were three fortified houses here during the 15th century, “one in Crée, one in Norosse and one in the village itself”. At present, Santenay is split up into four residential zones, Santenayle-Haut, Santenay-le-Bas, La Crée and Saint-Jean.
Named Sentennacus in 858, it appears that Santenay takes its name from a figure of Ancient Rome called Sentius or a derivative of the word sanctus, a sacred place during the pre-Christian era.
Clos Rousseau certainly comes from Roussot, the surname of an owner.
Our wine is made from 70-year-old vines, situated in Santenay in the climate of Clos Rousseau. Facing East/ South-East and at an altitude of 270 to 320 metres, they are planted in a red clay-loam soil, out of altered limestone from the Middle Jurassic period.
