2022 Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon & Fils Marsannay Clos des Portes Monopole

Clos des Portes Monopole is a prized, walled vineyard in Marsannay, perched at the northern tip of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits. Its limestone and clay soils, combined with a cool climate, create ideal conditions for producing Pinot Noir with sharp minerality and vibrant acidity. This 4-acre monopole, exclusively owned by Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon, showcases the purity and structure that only such a unique terroir can deliver.

Born in the vibrant city of Paris to parents with a military tradition, Jean-Michel Guillon took a different path. After his service in the Polynesian Islands, he embarked on a remarkable journey into the world of wine. In 1980, he began his wine venture with just over 5 acres of land. Importantly, he apprenticed with the one and only Henri Jayer. Over four decades, he transformed this humble beginning into a sprawling estate that now encompasses 37 acres spread across more than 20 appellations. It's a story of dedication, love for the land, and the pursuit of perfection.

Alexis spent two years training at the legendary Domaine G. Roumier, one of Burgundy’s most revered estates, where the collectible wines routinely fetch many hundreds to thousands of dollars per bottle. That kind of experience doesn’t just teach winemaking—it shapes a master. Alexis makes more than twenty wines each year, only from plots that the family owns. He believes producing wines with longevity means oak aging, and most of the wines see 100% new French oak for 15 months. These are wines that are delicious and bold in their youth and hit a wonderful stride after 3-5 years with the top wines gracefully improving for 25+ years.

The Guillon family understands the importance of preserving the environment for future generations of winemakers and caring for the vines by hand. When you meet the Guillon family, you recognize from their hands that they are true Burgundian farmers, who happen to make some outstanding wines from premium plots in Gevrey Chambertin. Alexis controls the process from start to finish. He is one of the few winery owners who actually travels to the French forests and picks out the trees to make the barrels that he will use. This is a process that requires three years of waiting time as the trees grow and until the wood is cut and seasoned for use in the barrels. This level of meticulous care and control is what makes Dom. Guillon stand out and above many of the neighboring wineries and why these wines sell out within 90 days of release every year.

The wines are very consistent and there are more than 2,500 French wine lovers in the know who are on the winery mailing list.

The 2022 Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon & Fils Marsannay "Clos des Portes" Monopole is a single-owner vineyard wine from the Marsannay appellation in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits, crafted exclusively from Pinot Noir. Aged in oak barrels, this Marsannay exhibits a dark ruby hue, aromas of black cherries, dark forest fruits, and savory oak, with a medium-bodied, taut palate, ripe tannins, and a mineral-cherry finish. A wine of depth and finesse, it pairs beautifully with beef, veal, poultry, and game.