Domaine Guillemot-Michel is a small family estate located in "Quintaine", between the villages of Viré and Clessé, in the heart of the Viré-Clessé appellation, one of the three Mâconnais crus.
In 1982, after studying viticulture and oenology, Pierrette Michel and her husband Marc Guillemot returned to the estate of Pierrette's parents. In 1985 they bottled their first vintage under the name “Guillemot-Michel”.
The vines were converted to organic as soon as they returned, then to Biodynamic in 1991 (DEMETER certification 1992-2017, BIODYVIN since 2018). Since 2012, their daughter Sophie, helped by her husband Gautier, has been following the same path by gradually taking over the management of the estate.
Sophie, Gautier, Pierrette, and Marc cultivate 6.5 hectares of old Chardonnay vines (55-60 years old) located around the hamlet of Quintaine.
Their work in Biodynamics aims to maintain a living soil, by mechanical and non-chemical maintenance, and by the refusal of any synthetic phytosanitary product during treatments, in favor of mineral substances and herbal preparations. These preparations are made at the estate or in groups with other winegrowers. They grow some of the plants used (yarrow, horsetail, nettle, alfalfa, valerian, comfrey, thyme, oregano, savory, etc.) or collect wild plants.
In the cellar, they limit their interventions to what is strictly necessary, thanks to an optimal quality of harvest. When ripe, the grapes are picked by hand and then gently pressed. The musts are decanted cold overnight to separate the clear juices from the lees. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place naturally in concrete vats thanks to indigenous yeasts and bacteria. After fermentation, the wine is kept on the lees until bottling, in early summer.
The 6.5 hectares of Chardonnay are located in the south of Burgundy, on the slopes of Quintaine, halfway between Mâcon and Tournus.
Like the vast majority of wine-growing Burgundy, the vines are located on Jurassic limestone subsoils (Bathonian to Oxfordian, -160 Ma). However, the Quintaine terroir, historically recognized within the villages of Viré and Clessé, has an atypical character.
The relief of Quintaine generates a high density of summer storms, accelerating the decarbonation of limestone into silt. The consequences on the physiology of the vine and therefore on the style of the wines are of three kinds: the addition of water during the summer contributes to a better natural acidity of the wines, the low rate of active limestone favors the establishment of the vine and modifies the structure of the wines, and the silts host a unique microbiota which participates in the fermentation and therefore in the aroma of our wines (vinified with indigenous yeasts). The plots are all exposed to the rising sun and benefit from the climatic influence of the Saône which tempers excesses, both winter and summer.
The oldest vines on the estate still in production were planted by Pierrette's grandfather, on his return from the First World War. The youngest were planted by Marc and Pierrette when the estate was taken over in the early 1980s. Today, they no longer uproot vines but renew the dead vines each year for an average age of around 60-65 years.
Planting density is high: between 7,000 and 8,000 vines per hectare. All vines are trellised and arched with a stick. They prune according to the Guyot-Poussard method, which is more time-consuming but more respectful of the flow of sap, it limits the risk of wood disease and extends the life expectancy of the feet.
They are fortunate to work on plots large enough to allow them to create natural barriers (hedges, paths, etc.) limiting edge effects. Each of their plots is thus a veritable little microcosm.
The estate is divided into 7 parcels located in the 5 following lieux-dits:
Champ-Choley (1 hectare) - Close to Champ-Rond but a little higher on the hillside, towards Clessé, this plot shares most of the characteristics of Champ-Rond. There is an abandoned quarry at its summit which allows observation of its almost flush limestone subsoil. The Michel family has long divided its time between the vineyard and the quarry trade. Quintaine stones were quarried until the end of the 19th century and renowned from Dijon to Lyon for the size of fireplaces and interior staircases in particular.
Le Chêne (1.5 hectares) - On the eastern hillside, a little below the village, this stony plot produces very aromatic wines which leave their mark on the nose of “Quintaine”. However, due to the poor soil, the maturities fly away quickly on the oak and the harvest date must therefore be carefully chosen in order to preserve freshness and avoid the candied notes which can arrive in just a few days.
Raverettes (1 hectare) - The plot closest to the estate, at the end of the orchard. There are several blocks in this parcel: "the vines at..." Jean, Cochet, Millat... all named after the person in charge of the last known plantation. Among these are the hundred-year-old vines planted by Sophie's great-grandfather, part of which is selected for the “Charleston” cuvée
Saint-Trivier Chapel (0.5 hectares) - They generally distinguish within this climat three plots: Pesselières (0.2 hectares), Cordonnière (0.1 hectares), and Lie-Monin (0.2 hectares). Pesselières is the most calcareous parcel of the estate. Its outcropping white limestone and its exposure to the prevailing winds give it an austere appearance. Cordonnière is one of the oldest vines, from which they select their grafts each year to replace the missing vines. Lie-Monin with its soil rich in red clay (ferruginous) is the plot from which the cuvée “Une Bulle” comes.
"As I've written before, this seven-hectare estate in the hamlet of Quintaine is one of the best producers in the Mâconnais and deserves to be much better known. Pierrette Guillemot's father was one of the founders of the Viré-Clessé cooperative, but she and her husband, Marc, elected to quit in 1985, converting first to organic and then, in 1991, to biodynamic farming. In 2013, their daughter Sophie joined the team, followed by her husband, Gautier Roussille (author, inter alia, of an impressive guide to Sake). All of the domaine's holdings are planted with massal selections of Chardonnay, with the oldest vines dating back to 1918. Like their neighbors, the Thevenets, the Guillemots harvest ripe grapes, fermenting and maturing the wines on the lees at their own pace. Botrytis, a relatively common occurrence due to Quintaine's humid mesoclimate, is embraced. These are honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy and develop beautifully in the cellar. Their strong personality is a world away from the insipid and ephemeral whites that shape many consumers' perceptions of the region, but that is precisely why they merit attention. Anyone visiting the domaine can't fail to be struck by the meticulousness that the Guillemot family bring to all their endeavors—whether it's their vegetable garden, their immaculately restored farmhouse-winery or their wines. But of course, it isn't necessary to visit—you can taste the results in the glass. – William Kelley"
- The Wine Advocate (Issue 249, June 30th 2020)
- The Wine Advocate (August 2021)
