One of my favorite producers of Burgundy is Domaine Antonin Guyon a family owned winery started by Antonin Guyon in the 1960’s. The estate in the Cöte d’Or is controlled and operated today by Antonin’s sons Dominique and Michel. I was very please when Ed Mc Carthy invited me to a tasting of these wines at the office of the imported/distributer Esprit Du Vin. It would give me the opportunity to taste a number of their wines from different vintages side by side.
Hombeline Guyon
The speaker was Hombeline Guyon, the daughter of Doninique Guyon, who alone with him manages the day-to-day operations of the estate.
Hombeline said that they have 47 hectares of vines producing wines from 25 different appellations. The domaine owns vines around the hill of Corton, the southern limits are in Gevrey, Meursault in the south and the Cötes Nuits in the west and the Chorey-lès-Beaune in the east.
She said that all the grapes are picked by hand with from the first selection(triage) of the vine. Some of the pickers are regulars and have been coming for 25 years. They want to get the grapes to the vat-house within 30 minutes of picking.
At the curerie there is second triage on the sorting table. Then the red gapes are completely destemmed and placed into large, temperature controlled, open- top wooden fermentation tanks. There is about one week cold (10-12C) maceration, one week at a maximum of 30C and one week of post –fermentation maceration. Twice daily pigeoge takes place before gravity sends the wine to barrels in the cellar below. 50% of new oak is used for the grand crus and less for the other reds. She made the point that they were moving away from new oak for all their wines.
The wines are produced in the “vat-house” in Savigny-lès-Beaune
For the whites, the grapes are whole pressed with a relativity light touch of the pneumatic press, the juice then settles and is racked in the barrels. The wine remains on the lees for as long as possible with a weekly batonnage. The wine is bottled after 12 months, with the exception of the Grands Crus Charlemagne and Croton Clos du Roy, which stay in barrel for about 18 months.
It was a very impressive tasting with 9 red wines and 11 white wines.
I recommend all the wines that I tasted. The 2011 and 2012 were showing better because they were older. But these wines also needed more time before they will fully develop. Domaine Antonin Guyon is one of the great values in Burgundy. The wines range from around $25 a bottle to around $200 a bottle, which is a great price to quality ratio. I also have a number of bottles of older vintages in my cellar.
Hombeline said that 2015 was not only a great vintage but a remarkable one in Burgundy
Reds
Hautes Côtes De Nuits Rouge “Les Dames De Vergy” 2011 and 2012
Chambolle-Musigny Village Les Cras 2012
Gevery Chambertin La Justice 2011
Volnay 1ER Cru Clos Des Chênes 2012 and 2013
Corton Bessanders Grand Cru 2012
Corton Clos Du Roy Grand Cru 2011
Charmers Chambertin Grand Cru 2011
Whites
Bourgogne Blanc 2014
Pernand-Vergeless 1ER Cru Sous Fretille 2012, 2013 and 2014
Meursault- Charmes1ER Cru Les Charmers Dessus 2011, 2012 and 2014
Puligny- Montrachet 1ER Cru Les Pucelles 2012 and 2013
Croton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2012 and 2011
You certainly have your work cut out for you, sigh. Such hard work, ouff! 🙂