Domaine Guillot-Broux

Mâcon Cruzille

Located in Cruzille, Emmanuel’s family comes from five generations of Burgundian grape growers and barrel makers. Emmanuel’s grandfather was a pioneer in organic viticulture and created the first organic vineyard in Burgundy in 1954 (certified since 1991). The story of the small town of Cruzille becoming the birthplace of organic agriculture in Burgundy is truly unbelievable. Today, the Domaine is run by brothers Emmanuel and Patrice, who maintain their family’s historic winemaking and vineyard practices that are rooted in deep respect for both wine and the land.

Emmanuel’s grandfather, Pierre Guillot, was a notary in Paris during World War II and was taken prisoner by the Nazis when they occupied the city. He managed to escape the camp and fled south to the “free zone” in southern Burgundy. Surrounded by winemakers, he started asking questions about agricultural practices that left him unsatisfied. In a ghastly twist, he also discovered that many of the pesticides used in the vineyards were developed in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Having been a prisoner himself, the idea of using pesticides in the natural beauty of the vineyards of the Mâconnais was totally unthinkable. He went on to meet Max Léglise, the head of the French National Institute of Agriculture Research, and they set out on the great adventure of making organic wines.

After some years working on his family’s vineyard, Jean-Gérard Guillot, the founder of the Domaine Guillot-Broux left to deepen his wine-making knowledge. He first worked for several years at the Domaine de la Chanal in Brouilly in the Beaujolais, then at the Domaine Bernard Michelot in Meursault. In 1978, he returned to Cruzille with a profound understanding of all that this encompasses: the soil, the vines, and wine, where he established the Domaine Guillot-Broux.

Wines

Bourgogne “La Myotte”

Bourgogne

This vineyard is situated on a slope in Cruzille that was known historically for its reds. La Myotte is quite a cold terroir where the flowering period is often difficult, and the grapes ripen late. This leads to excellent wines in warmer years. La Myotte is on the same terroir as Beaumont (planted with Gamay), but planted with Pinot Noir. It is very interesting to be able to compare the two.

Bourgogne “Les Geniévrières"

Bourgogne

Situated on the same terroir as the white wine of the same name, the Pinots in the Genièvrières have been planted in three different places: two on quite shallow soil cover, bringing structure to the wine; and the third on terraces that have more soil cover, giving a fruitier side to the wine. The wines from these three areas are blended into one cuvee, Les Genièvrières Rouge. This wine has the elegance and minerality to warrant being aged.

Mâcon-Cruzille “Beaumont"

Mâcon Cruzille

This vineyard is east facing, as are all of the vineyards in Cruzille. It is situated mid-slope, with 10,000 plants/hectare, and the soil is Bathonian clayey-limestone. On this rich soil, it is important to rein in the vines in order to let the grapes reach the right maturity. They use the short pruning method en cordon Royat for all the Gamay vines on the estate, to restrain the natural vigorous growth of this grape variety. Grown on the clayey limestone soils of the Mâconnais, this wine has very particular peppery and spicy notes. Beaumont is an emblematic cuvee of the Domaine, a real Gamay with a Burgundy style. 

Mâcon-Cruzille “Le Clos de la Mollepierre”

Mâcon Cruzille

This is the Domaine's newest terroir, and they believe it will be one of the best. When they bought this plot for less than 800€, it had been abandoned since the phylloxera crisis. The clos, surrounded by a dry stone wall nearly two meters high, was originally owned by the Abbey of Cluny. It took nearly ten years to get the land ready for planting: The soil had to be prepared and the vineyard adapted to tractor use, all while ensuring they kept the walls! The replant started in 2011 and in 2015 the vineyard produced the first vintage. It is already as mineral and complex as Les Perrières, and will no doubt be an exceptional wine in years to come. 

Mâcon-Cruzille “Les Perrières”

Mâcon Cruzille

This vineyard is very picturesque, with its three terraces supported by dry-stone walls, surrounded by woods. The soil is very stony, hence the name ‘Les Perrières’ (the stony place). It is composed of oolitic limestone (microscopic fossils) and is very rich in iron and manganese. The wines are particularly suitable for ageing (20 to 30 years for the best vintages).

Mâcon-Cruzille “Les Molières”

Mâcon Cruzille

Les Molières is situated in the village of Grevilly (one of the three villages that make up the appellation of Cruzille) and is oriented south-west. The soil is mainly red marl, on a bedrock of thick limestone. What makes Les Molières special is that it was planted (in 1936) with a variety of Chardonnay known as Chardonnay Muscaté, an old cross between Chardonnay and small-berried Muscat de Rivesaltes. The wine is always very aromatic thanks to the influence of the Muscat grape, but also saline and mineral because of the strong limestone terroir. It is the oldest vineyard of the Domaine.

Mâcon-Chardonnay “Les Combettes”

Mâcon Cruzille

Although there is only a path separating Les Combettes from Les Genièvrières, the two terroirs are radically different. Les Combettes is very mineral, with a crispy bite. The wine is often more concentrated than Les Geniévrières, and it needs more time to come into its own. The appellation of Les Combettes is Mâcon Chardonnay (from the name of the village the vineyard is situated in, not the grape variety), and, thanks to the limestone bedrock having collapsed more than in Les Genièvrières, the vineyard is slightly more south facing, and is therefore warmer and the grapes ripen earlier. This, coupled with the low-yielding varieties of Chardonnay planted here, mean that the wines are always a little more rounded than Les Genièvrières.

Mâcon-Cruzille “Les Geniévrières”

Mâcon Cruzille

Abandoned after the phylloxera crisis, this vineyard was cleared and replanted by Emmanuel’s father, Jean-Gérard in 1983. Aiming for quality, he decided to use low-yield rootstock, high planting density, Guyot Simple pruning and, of course, organic methods. This brings about a natural control of yield and optimum maturity. The Bathonian clay and limestone soils give the wine its distinct minerality.

Maison Guillot-Broux Mâcon-Rouge

Mâcon Rouge

This cuvee is a blend of several old Mâconnais vineyards. The wine is vinified in concrete vats, using indigenous yeasts. Part of the harvest is de-stemmed to bring a bit more finesse and elegance to the cuvee. The limestone terroirs give it its minerality and freshness; the granite terroirs, hints of camphor and dark fruits.

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Patrice Guillot

Vineyard Manager

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