Huguenot

History of Domaine Huguenot

The history of Domaine Huguenot Père et Fils has its roots in Marsannay-la-Côte from the end of the 18th century. The Huguenot name appears countless times in the communal archives of Marsannay, and the family is "almost older than the church steeple" of the village. Winemakers since 1800, ten generations have succeeded one another at this 23-hectare estate, perpetuating the family winemaking tradition with a remarkable faithfulness to ancestral terroirs. Over the decades, the estate has gradually expanded through strategic acquisitions of the finest plots in Marsannay, Fixin and Gevrey-Chambertin, some of which originate from Philippe Huguenot's maternal grandfather, a winegrower in Fixin.

Today, it is Valérie and Philippe Huguenot who watch over the family estate, supported by their son who already represents the eleventh generation. Philippe Huguenot launched the conversion of the entire estate to organic farming in 2008. After an initial certification period obtained in 2013 with Ecocert, the estate unfortunately lost its label in 2016 following a frost period that devastated the vineyard. The organic conversion was relaunched in 2017, with a definitive certification obtained for the 2019 vintage.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Huguenot

The vineyard of Domaine Huguenot extends over 23 hectares in the Côte de Nuits, spread across four prestigious appellations. In Marsannay, the largest village appellation in Burgundy and the golden gateway to the Côte de Nuits, the estate cultivates seven different cuvées (one rosé, one white and five reds) across emblematic lieu-dits: Champ-Salomon, Echezots, Grand Bois, Champs Perdrix (a 2.5-hectare plot in the south of the appellation, bordering Fixin), Montagne, Aux Genelières, and La Charme aux Prêtres (a 0.30-hectare plot acquired in 2014). In Fixin, the estate cultivates just over 2.5 hectares of fifty-year-old vines on a soil of clay and sandy marls.

In Gevrey-Chambertin, the estate has two village cuvées: Les Crais (a 2.5-hectare plot just below the main road) and Les Champs Vieilles Vignes (a single-plot cuvée from vines of at least 80 years, an inheritance from the maternal grandparents). To the south of the village, in immediate proximity to the Grand Crus, the estate cultivates the Premier Cru Les Fontenys (39 ares) and the Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin (0.22 hectares acquired in the 1960s from the Dupont family, at the northern tip of the climat, in direct proximity to Griotte-Chambertin). The soils are typically Burgundian, marly-limestone and clay-limestone, with nuances specific to each climat. The entire estate is managed under certified organic farming with Ecocert. Harvesting is entirely manual, a guarantee of optimal grape quality.

Winemaking at Domaine Huguenot

At the cellar in Marsannay-la-Côte, Philippe Huguenot applies traditional winemaking methods, faithful to the great Burgundian tradition, while incorporating measured technical advances. For the reds, after rigorous sorting in the winery, the Pinot Noir grapes are vinified in vats with carefully controlled macerations, followed by attentively managed alcoholic fermentations. Pigeage and pump-overs are measured, in pursuit of extraction with great finesse, to preserve the purity of fruit and aromatic elegance characteristic of the house style.

The ageing is conducted with precision according to the appellation: 12 months for the Marsannay rouge Collection, 18 months for the Fixin and certain Gevrey cuvées, with a measured proportion of new oak that varies according to the climat. For the whites, certain cuvées (notably some Marsannay) are aged in 500-litre oak barrels for 10 months, combining aromatic complexity, concentration and generosity while preserving the freshness of the Chardonnay. Bottling then takes place at the estate. The Bettane & Desseauve Guide praises "wines of ever-increasing elegance with a pleasant fruitiness that captivates from their earliest youth" and "a spectacular acceleration in quality over the past few vintages".

The cuvées of Domaine Huguenot

The Bourgogne Blanc is the estate's entry-level Chardonnay. A fresh and precise wine, marked by aromas of citrus, white flowers and white fruits, endowed with a taut palate and a saline finish — ideal for discovering the house style.

The Marsannay Blanc Collection is a blend of three lieu-dits: Champ-Salomon, Echezots and Grand Bois. A golden robe, a nose of yellow fruits and citrus, a broad and round palate that leads onto fine mineral structures, with great length. A characterful and harmonious wine that can be enjoyed young or reveal its full typicity with time.

The Marsannay Blanc Aux Genelières is a refined single-plot cuvée. A pale, clear and brilliant robe, aromas of white flowers, yellow fruits and ageing notes. This fruity Marsannay with its silky texture pairs ideally with white meats and delicate fish, developing aromas of praline and honey with age.

The Marsannay Blanc rare is a confidential cuvée. A pale gold robe with brilliant highlights, a nose of white flowers that rises in intensity around peppery nuances and citrus, a round and suave palate, very fresh thanks to a fine tension and beautiful minerality — charming with a few years of ageing.

The Marsannay Rosé is one of the emblematic specialities of the appellation, which has historically been renowned for its Pinot Noir rosés. A fresh and thirst-quenching wine, marked by pure fruit aromas of small red fruits — ideal for apéritifs and summer meals.

The Marsannay Héritage (sometimes labelled Collection) is a blend of several climats, the estate's emblematic signature. A brilliant ruby robe with violet highlights, an elegant and expressive nose marked by aromas of fresh red fruits (cherry, raspberry) with subtle touches of undergrowth, violet and spiced notes.

The Marsannay Champs Perdrix is a single-plot cuvée sourced from a large 2.5-hectare parcel situated at the extreme south of the appellation, bordering Fixin. A wine of complexity, freshness and minerality, almost saline on the finish, combining the tension of Echezots with the richness of Montagne.

The Marsannay Montagne is a well-exposed cuvée, marked by sunshine. A rounder wine, marked by ripe fruit and a generous palate, in an accessible and warm style characteristic of the climat.

The Marsannay Echezots is a single-plot cuvée of a more austere character, which reveals its full nobility with time. A taut Pinot Noir, marked by a fine mineral structure and a precise tannic framework.

The Marsannay La Charme aux Prêtres is the estate's most recent acquisition (a 0.30-hectare plot purchased in 2014). A small single-plot cuvée, vinified separately to reveal the unique characteristics of this climat, in a parcel-by-parcel approach to precision that characterises the new generation of the estate.

The Côte de Nuits-Villages is a representative cuvée of the regional appellation. A balanced Pinot Noir, marked by aromas of red fruits, a fine mineral structure and a silky palate characteristic of the house style.

The Fixin is a generous cuvée in volume, sourced from a vineyard of nearly 2.5 hectares on soils of clay and sandy marls. Aged for 18 months in oak barrels, yielding a gourmand Fixin with vibrant fruit, silky texture and a persistent finish.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Crais is a village cuvée sourced from a 2.5-hectare plot situated just below the main road. A structured Pinot Noir, marked by aromas of ripe black fruits, soft spices and undergrowth, supported by a solid tannic structure characteristic of the queen appellation for reds from the Côte de Nuits.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champs Vieilles Vignes is a single-plot cuvée from vines of at least 80 years old, an inheritance from Philippe Huguenot's maternal grandparents. A Pinot Noir of great breed, marked by exceptional aromatic concentration, profound aromas and a noble tannic structure, built for long ageing.

The Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys is one of the estate's flagship cuvées. Sourced from 39 ares of this Premier Cru situated in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Crus, this climat is always distinct from other Premier Crus such as Lavaut Saint-Jacques or Les Cazetiers, and is closer in style to Mazis-Chambertin with its power and structure. A wine of character and great aromatic finesse, endowed with good body and remarkable balance.

The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the absolute jewel of the estate. Sourced from a 0.22-hectare plot acquired in the 1960s by the grandfather from the Dupont family, situated at the northern tip of the climat, in direct proximity to Griotte-Chambertin, from which it is separated only by a simple path. Vines of 40 years, very stony soil with practically no arable topsoil, which gives the Pinot Noir very elegant and silky tannins, in the great finesse characteristic of Clos de Bèze and Griotte-Chambertin. Confidential production of approximately 1,000 bottles per year.