Domaine Antonin Guyon Depth & Breadth in the Côte d’Or
Antonin Guyon proved that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. When he started out in the 1960s, at the relatively mature age of 55, he owned but a few small parcels of land in Gevrey and Meursault — not an uncommon footing to have in the fragmented tapestry of France’s Burgundy region. But today, thanks in part to his forward-thinking sons Dominique and Michel, Domaine Antonin Guyon has evolved into one of the most prestigious and largest single family-owned wineries in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or.
In the mid 1980s, Dominique took over day-to-day operations, becoming the second generation to manage this esteemed Burgundy house. His daughter, Hombeline, joined him in 2015, after studying oenology in Dijon. Representing the Guyon family’s third generation, she proudly runs the vineyard management and export operations. She’s also deeply involved in the wider Burgundy region and was instrumental in getting the climats (Burgundy’s designated land parcels) recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Based in the Savigny-lès-Beaune region, the Guyon family’s impressive vineyard holdings have been certified organic since 2018. They stretch around the hill of Corton, north to Gevrey, south to Meursault, east to Chorey-lès-Beaune, and finally west to the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. The latter area represents the largest addition. In the 1970s, Dominique transformed hundreds of small parcels from 80 growers in Meuilley into a single, 20-hectare / 50-acre block of south-facing vines. This rare, unbroken chain of pristine plots speaks volumes on the tremendous quality and consistency they can achieve, vintage after vintage.
Taking full advantage of their prime-sited vineyards, the Guyon family puts the utmost care into each cuvée, from vine to bottle. Their wines hail from 15 different appellations and include an exceptional range of Premiers and Grands Crus. This variety gives Domaine Antonin Guyon the depth and breadth of a traditional négociant, with estate-produced wines that represent multiple quality tiers and price points. Thus every Burgundy wine lover, from the value seeker to the seasoned connoisseur, can enjoy a taste of Antonin Guyon’s winemaking dream.
Terroir
Burgundy’s a vast tapestry of more than a thousand climats. Each of these designated land parcels has its own unique terroir, which is what makes Burgundy one of the most diverse wine regions of all — not to mention, the object of much passion and study the world over.
The Guyon family’s organically farmed, hand-tended vineyards span 15 appellations across Burgundy’s prized Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, known collectively as the Côte d’Or. These areas benefit from a continental climate, with hot summers that help grapes ripen fully. Situated on a stretch of hills between the Massif Central (to the west) and the Jura and Alps (to the east), the vineyards have an ideal aspect for sun exposure yet enough altitude to maintain freshness. The vines grow in limestone and marl soils, which encourage them to root deep for nutrients. This results in the greater finesse, depth, and subtle minerality found in fine wine from Burgundy.
Viticulture
Across their various vineyard properties, the Guyon family cultivates the traditional Burgundy grape varieties of pinot noir and chardonnay. They farm all the vineyards organically, and Domaine Antonin Guyon received official organic certification in 2018.
Led by Hombeline’s uncompromising quality standards, the vineyard team follows meticulous practices. They harvest and sort all the grapes by hand, with the first sorting occurring in the vineyard. After the best grapes have been selected, they gently lay them in small wooden boxes (les caisses) and rush them to the winery. The team strives for all grapes to arrive within 30 minutes of harvest to maximize freshness and purity of flavor.
Once at the winery, the grapes undergo a second sorting, also by hand. Depending on the vintage and appellation, 75% to 100% of the grapes are manually destemmed, after which they are ready to be vinified.
Traditional Winemaking with a Focus on Purity
Using traditional winemaking techniques, Domaine Antonin Guyon produces elegant, pure expressions of Burgundy. The pinot noir undergoes cold maceration to preserve primary fruit aromas, followed by natural fermentation and gentle extraction by pigeage in open wooden vats. The wines are barrel aged for at least 12 months then placed in tanks to create a uniform character. Similarly, the chardonnay wines age on the lees in barrel to develop a creamy complexity before moving to tanks to harmonize.
