Gueguen estate in Chablis
Born into families of winegrowers, Céline and Frédéric embarked on their own adventure in 2013. They created their Estate nestled in the heart of the Chablis vineyard. The 36 hectares of vines are mainly composed of Chardonnay grape varieties in the Burgundy and Chablis appellations. They also cultivate Sauvignon (AOC Saint-Bris), Pinot Noir with the AOC Irancy; Aligoté, and Sacy and César, rare grape varieties. With a deep attachment to their family roots, they are building a new Estate with a breath of freedom. Céline and Frédéric are in turn writing a new page in the history of wine.
The wine tasting place is situated in the center of Chablis. This is the magical setting in which Céline & Frédéric invite you to taste their elegant and fruity Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru
roots and wine…
Céline and Frédéric come from families of wine-growers, originally from Saint Bris & Chablis After working for her father Jean-Marc Brocard on his estate for 10 years, Céline & Frederic decided in 2013 to go it alone and create their own wines. The style of Céline and Frédéric Gueguen wines is deliberately modern with a permanent commitment to respect and expression of the terroir’s identity. One of the main goals is to preserve their soil, which is why they use neither chemical fertilizers nor herbicides. Vintages from 2015 onward have been made using exclusively organic processes and the Domaine began its conversion to organic farming with its 2019 vintage.
Frédéric GUEGUEN
For 15 years, I have been wine-maker in two important renowned domaines in Chablis (Domaine Durup & Domaine Brocard).
However, my best wish was to work for myself, so I could understand my wines from the vineyard to the bottle.
In that sense, I can share with my clients the life of this passionating craft so varied…
These fifteen years of career in the wine industry convinced me and my wife Céline to start our own adventure.
Céline BROCARD GUEGUEN
Céline has a long heritage in the Chablis region. Winegrowers since the 16th century, the Céline ‘s family has been working vineyards and mills around the city of Auxerre ever since. At the end of the 19th century, Céline’s family decided to dedicate their work to viticulture.
After having spent 13 years working with her father Jean-Marc Brocard at his Domaine, in the areas of commerce, marketing and wine tourism, Celine have chosen to develop her own estate, a new path in 2013. Her wish is to share this experience with you.
vinyard in chablis
Demanding climate, limestone soil with multiple nuances, various valleys that offer contrasting micro-climates, Chablis and Auxerrois Vineyard is a mosaic of terroirs. The diversity of plots is a challenge for us. The balance between soil and micro-climate differs everywhere. You can observe it at harvest time, when a plot can achieve ripeness 3 weeks after the first one.
First of all, you have to understand what happens in the vineyard, where terroir comes to life, by observing the wine and bringing all needed care to help the grapes ripen. Ripeness is essential to transfer the terroir to the glass. The soil is ploughed to encourage the vines to extend their roots more deeply and therefore better express the typicity of the Terroir.
The hillside vines grow on chalky clay soil, rich in minerals due to aquatic fossils : Kimmérdigian soil dates from Jurassic. Much of the growing area is ploughed (between the rows) to conserve a maximum of the micro-organisms essential for soil health. Celine & Frederic bring all their creative energy to the domain;
Céline & Frederic now own 25 ha and grow 5 different grapes : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon, Aligoté, Sacy.The average vine on the estate is 35 years old and yield only 40hL/ha. All the wines are vinified with indigenous yeasts.
Our Chablisian terroir extends over a Kimmeridgian subsoil formed in the Jurassic era. We have clay-limestone soils that are perfectly suited to the development of vines in order to have a naturally limited production. The limestones and marls of the middle and upper Kimmeridgian cover the most qualitative sectors of the appellation. This geological ensemble, rich in small fossil oysters (Exogyra virgula), represents the historical delimitation of the Chablisian. The soils can be relatively deep, on a marl substrate, or close to the bedrock and made up of small pebbles.
Winemaking
Made up of 35 separate parcels, Domaine Gueguen vineyards enjoy both a great complexity and incredible richness.
To preserve their environment, the vineyards are carefully managed. Limiting yields is a given, and the vines have been cultivated using organic methods for many years. The domain carries out harvesting in small crates followed by rigorous sorting, and pays close attention to detail at every stage of the process.
The grapes are sorted, then placed in a press to be slowly and progressively pressed. Next the juice is left to decant during twelve hours and then put into vats to start the alcoholic fermentation. Once the fermentation has started, the lees are then stirred to enrich the wine.
The length of fermentation and the frequency of stirring the lees (to enrich the wine) depend on the vintage and the “terroir” of each different wine, with the objective of increasing the complexity of the wine and its aromatic complexity.
Since 2018 Our vineyards are certified under the HVE programme “HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE” certified with the highest label for organic agriculture: Level 3 of High Environmental Value (HEV). FRENCH ’s commitment to producing award-winning wines that reflect its landscapes and climate has driven the country’s wine industry to become a world leader in sustainability.
As such sustainability is considered key to the on-going success of the industry as it preserves the quality of Burgundy natural resources to enable the continued production of top-quality wine for generations to come. The HVE programme provides a framework for companies to improve their performance in terms of environment, social, and economic sustainability, in both the vineyard and winery.