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We love to present interesting producers of Burgundy who we have discovered whilst visiting the world's greatest wine region. Sometimes these domaines have a high profile but often they do not. To be honest it is the makers that fall into the second category that give me the most pleasure. Many of you will have tasted the wines of Gilbert and Christine Felettig, Philippe Cheron, Chevillon-Chezeaux, Domaine des Varoilles, Pierrick Bouley, Coste-Caumartin, Jomain, Duroche and Bernard Millot - all once seldom reviewed by the US critics but now on the radar and often lauded as new Burgundian superstars.

 

Domaine Olivier Guyot is another of these less well known producers who makes exceptional wines.

 

The Guyots are one of the oldest families in Marsannay-la-Côte. Louis Guyot was a small farmer/wine-grower with many animals, particularly carthorses which he used to help in the vineyards and at harvest time. In 1951, his son Albert took over the family farm. Most of the vineyards and fields were located at Marsannay-la-Côte and his wine was mainly sold on to merchants.

 

In 1962, Albert married Odile Guyard, the eldest daughter of a large family. Odile's father, Georges Guyard was a small landowner and nurseryman. He decided to rent vineyards and then bought some to enlarge his own estate bit by bit. To save his horses the journey between the two villages (7 km), he swapped his Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru (Lavaux St-Jacques) for land at Marsannay-la-Côte!

 

Since 1990, Olivier Guyot has been in sole charge of the estate which now stretches from Marsannay-la-Côte to Chambolle-Musigny. Today the estate comprises a vast number of small plots covering 15 hectares. Vines are grown using bio dynamic cultivation methods and are still ploughed the traditional way, with a carthorse. Vine age is significant ensuring wines of concentration and complexity.

 

Guyot receives great press from the French critics but is not visited by any of the major English-speaking reviewers.

 

I do not have tasting notes for all of his 2016's so I thought a small dinner presenting his wines would be great. We will look at 9 different wines including his Clos St-Denis and Clos de la Roche Grand Crus. Due to the frost in 2016 there was just a single barrel (288 bottles) of each produced.

 

The dinner will be at David's in Prahran on Thursday 3 October. 7.30pm start. The cost of the wine portion is $135.00 per person. As we have done in the past we will order the Celebration Banquet ($65.00 per Person) and share the food and corkage ($10.00 per bottle) bill on the evening. It will be a smaller group than usual and I only have 8 seats available.

 

The wine list:

 

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2016

Marsannay Les Favieres 2016

Marsannay La Montagne 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin En Champs 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2016

Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru Les Sorbets 2016

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes 2016

Clos-St-Denis Grand Cru 2016

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2016