Found in Cruzille in the Mâconnais, Clos des Vignes du Maynes is now in the hands of Julien Guillot. This is a particularly old, Burgundy domain that dates back to the 10th century, more specifically to the time when Cluny Abbey was founded by the Duke of Aquitaine. The domain then belonged to many generations of country people until it was bought by Pierre and Jeanna Guillot in 1952. They have never used chemicals, always working as naturally as possible. After passing the torch on to their son Alain, who has played an important role in the promotion of organics in France, his son Julien who joined the domain in 1998 represents the third generation of the family to work at the domain. The vineyard spans 7 hectares planted with Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay. The harvests are carried out by hand with careful selection. In the winery, everything is done naturally with very little intervention: fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts, and no sulphur or additives are used. The red wines undergo semi-carbonic maceration with a mini-punching over and light stirring. They are matured in barrels and there is no filtering at the end. Julien Guillot wishes to make ‘sharing wines' and he succeeds wonderfully with his high-quality and uncommonly elegant cuvées

Out of Julien Guillot’s range, this is one of the wines that should be enjoyed in its youth. Made in the Mâcon-Cruzille appellation, biodynamic methods are followed since the domain was certified by Demeter in 2005. After harvesting by hand in small cases, the grapes are taken to the winery for vinification, where they will undergo natural procedures starting with a fermentation using only native yeasts. Maturation takes place in large containers to preserve the grapes’ freshness and avoid oak-heavy aromas in the cuvée.
In the glass, this is a refreshing wine that nicely represents the character of its appellation. We recommend uncorking it before too long, at a temperature of around 12°C. It will pair well with a seafood dish such as an oyster platter.