Antonin Guyon

History of Domaine Antonin Guyon

The history of Domaine Antonin Guyon begins in 1960, when Antonin Guyon, then aged 55, decided to build a viticultural heritage on the Côte d'Or. He began by acquiring scattered plots from Gevrey-Chambertin to Meursault, selected for the nobility of their terroirs. Ten years later, his son Dominique continued this legacy by carrying out one of the most impressive land consolidations in modern Burgundy: he brought together 350 plots belonging to nearly 80 different owners in the commune of Meuilley, in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, to create a magnificent 22-hectare vineyard with full south-facing exposure.

Today, the estate extends over nearly 50 hectares and stands as one of the finest family enterprises on the Côte d'Or. Dominique Guyon runs the property with passion, supported by Vincent Nicot, cellar master and vineyard manager, and advised by the celebrated Greek oenologist Kyriakos Kynigopoulos. Hombeline, Dominique's daughter, represents the fifth generation and is actively involved in the day-to-day management of the estate. The magnificent 18th-century vaulted cellars, located in Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune, house an annual production of approximately 220,000 bottles, of which 75% are exported to the finest tables around the world.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Antonin Guyon

The distinctiveness of Domaine Antonin Guyon rests on a refined understanding of the Burgundian mosaic. The vineyard covers more than 25 prestigious appellations: in the Côte de Nuits with Gevrey-Chambertin (La Justice, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru) and Chambolle-Musigny (Les Cras, Clos du Village as a monopole), then in the Côte de Beaune with Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton (and its three Grand Crus Bressandes, Clos du Roy, Charlemagne), Savigny-lès-Beaune, Beaune (Clos de la Chaume Gaufriot as a monopole), Chorey-lès-Beaune, Volnay (Clos des Chênes), Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. To this spread is added the vast vineyard of the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, in the commune of Meuilley.

The soils, specific to each plot, are essentially clay-limestone, sometimes silty or gravelly, with varied microclimates that make up the richness of each wine's identity. Pinot Noir dominates in the Côte de Nuits, while Chardonnay and Pinot Noir share the Côte de Beaune. Since 2018, the entire estate has been certified organic. The vines are ploughed, amendments are moderate, and biodiversity is encouraged. Harvesting is entirely manual, carried out by loyal teams, some of whom have worked at the estate for more than 25 years, a guarantee of an intimate knowledge of the plots and rigorous sorting in the vineyard, complemented by a second selection on a sorting table at the winery.

Winemaking at Domaine Antonin Guyon

In the cellar, Domaine Antonin Guyon combines Burgundian tradition with technical precision. For the red wines, the grapes are destemmed (with sometimes a proportion of whole-cluster fruit on certain cuvées) and then vinified in open wooden vats according to tradition, with manual punchdowns twice a day. Temperatures are carefully controlled to preserve the aromas and favour extraction defined by finesse. After a light settling, the red wines are aged in oak barrels for 18 months, with a measured proportion of new wood to let the terroir speak.

For the whites, the grapes are whole-pressed, followed by settling that clarifies the musts before complete fermentation in barrel. The wines are then aged on lees with weekly stirring, which brings volume and aromatic complexity. Bottling generally takes place after twelve months for the Villages and Premiers Crus, and eighteen months for the Corton-Charlemagne. All wines are bottled at the estate, in keeping with Burgundian tradition, under the expert eye of Kyriakos Kynigopoulos and Vincent Nicot.

The cuvées of Domaine Antonin Guyon

The Bourgogne Chardonnay is the estate's entry-level white wine. A lively and precise Chardonnay, marked by aromas of citrus, white flowers and white fruits, with a fresh palate and an elegant saline finish, ideal as an aperitif or with grilled fish.

The Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Dames de Vergy is sourced from the full south-facing slopes of Meuilley, on the heights above Nuits-Saint-Georges. A quiet and deep Pinot Noir, endowed with aromas of red fruits, a fine mineral backbone and a supple structure, in a style that sometimes approaches the estate's Volnay wines.

The Chorey-lès-Beaune Les Champs Longs is an elegant and approachable village Pinot Noir, endowed with vibrant fruit, a fluid palate and fine tannins, perfect for discovering the estate's style at an accessible price point.

The Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Goudelettes is a cuvée of the estate from the home appellation. A medium-structured Pinot Noir, endowed with fine acidity, notes of red fruits and cherry, supported by well-integrated tannins and a dry finish.

The Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc is a lively and mineral Chardonnay, the expression of a discreet appellation that neighbours Corton-Charlemagne. Notes of citrus, flowers and flint, a taut palate and a persistent finish.

The Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Frétille is an exceptional white Premier Cru, sourced from a fifty-year-old Chardonnay plot located between Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune. A floral, intense and fragrant wine, with scents of acacia and honeysuckle, and a great mineral energy.

The Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses Rouge is a ripe and concentrated Pinot Noir, marked by aromatic finesse centred on raspberry, in an infused, full and juicy framework. Carefully integrated oak, ageing of great distinction, a wine of both seduction and keeping potential.

The Aloxe-Corton Village is sourced from plots situated at the foot of the Corton hill. A full-bodied Pinot Noir, endowed with aromas of dark fruits, gentle spices and a solid tannic backbone, in the structured tradition of the appellation.

The Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Fournières is a Premier Cru of character, marked by well-ripened grapes, a warm note and an infused quality brought by a proportion of whole-cluster fruit. A flavoursome, fleshy palate, fine tannins and a long finish, in a style that is both thoroughbred and accessible.

The Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots is another Premier Cru cuvée of the estate, endowed with a fine floral aromatic openness, a delicate structure and an elegant expression of Pinot Noir from this hillside climat.

The Beaune Clos de la Chaume Gaufriot is a monopole of the estate, located in the commune of Beaune. A Pinot Noir of great finesse, marked by aromas of red fruits, violet and gentle spices, with an elegant framework and a chiselled finish.

The Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes is one of the great Premiers Crus of Volnay. A Pinot Noir endowed with a fine structure, a silky tannic framework, pure aromas of raspberry and peony, and a great ageing potential, faithful to the thoroughbred elegance of the appellation.

The Chambolle-Musigny Village is a delicate and fragrant village-level expression. A floral and fruity Pinot Noir, aged fourteen months in barrel, endowed with aromas of blackcurrant and violet and a tender, rounded palate.

The Chambolle-Musigny Clos du Village is a monopole of the estate and one of its emblematic cuvées. Forty-five-year-old vines on limestone soil, a silky texture, a fragrant bouquet of raspberries, rose petals and notes of blackcurrant and violet, with melted tannins and a long finish.

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras reveals the essence of Burgundian Pinot Noir: black cherry, a hint of cocoa, subtly peppered plum. The palate, with its silky texture, opens onto fine and vibrant fruit, in a fresh and thoroughbred finish, the very definition of gastronomic excellence.

The Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice is an intense, flavoursome Pinot Noir of admirable balance. A cuvée praised on numerous occasions for its exuberant indulgence on the nose and its aromatic finesse, it is one of the great red classics of the house.

The Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes (sometimes labelled Les Charmes Dessus) is sourced from a 69-are plot cultivated by the estate. A Chardonnay aged one-third in oak barrels, with a lightly golden colour, notes of honey, ginger and yellow fruits, a remarkably silky texture and an incandescent minerality.

The Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles is a white pinnacle of the Côte de Beaune. A thoroughbred Chardonnay, endowed with a dense structure, an incisive mineral backbone and a sublime aromatic elegance, in the great tradition of Puligny Premiers Crus.

The Corton Bressandes Grand Cru is one of the estate's flagships. A Pinot Noir of great breed, marked by aromas of cherry, rose petals, undergrowth and spices, supported by a velvety texture and a persistent finish, with a great ageing potential.

The Corton Clos du Roy Grand Cru is another red Grand Cru from the mythical hill. A deep and structured wine, endowed with a dense structure, a rich aromatic expression (dark fruits, spices, leather) and a great capacity for ageing.

The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the estate's Côte de Nuits Grand Cru, one of the pinnacles of the range. A deep, complex Pinot Noir, endowed with a silky framework, captivating aromas of ripe red fruits, truffle and noble spices, built for a very long ageing.

The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is the estate's white summit, situated largely in Aloxe at the lieu-dit La Charlemagne. A Chardonnay of masterful precision and length, aged eighteen months, marked by toasted, grilled notes, bready aromas, a very full-bodied palate, a deep mineral backbone and a finish of exceptional persistence, among the greatest white wines of Burgundy.