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text by Linden Wilkie, 19 Deb 2020

Perched high up above the village is the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Givry, in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Cellier = cellar, and Moines = monks, in this case the Cistercians who founded the Abbey of La Ferté here in 1130. The wines of Givry are a bit less known than some other villages, but as we all know, the monks had great taste and put their vineyards in the best spots in the Côte d’Or!

Philippe and Catherine Pascal and their family have owned and run Domaine du Cellier aux Moines since 2004, and winemaking is led by Guillaume Marko. They make and lead a team of quite some sophistication and experience at the highest level. They’ve used no pesticides or herbicides since 2006 and have now converted to biodynamism. Grapes are hand-harvested, carefully sorted, fermentation is whole-bunch, and state of the art gravity-fed, set deep into a quarry to regulate temperature and humidity with little energy. 

And the wines? The estate makes a small range of whites and reds, and today we focus on their top wine, from a 5ha south-facing windy slope next to the monastery: 2016 Domaine du Cellier aux Moines Givry 1er Cru ‘Clos du Cellier aux Moines’.

We tasted here during harvest last year and got to see all this in action, but in the interest of ‘homework’ I thought this note to you was a good excuse to pop open a bottle of the one wine we have here from the domaine (an easy choice then for all of us!):

A clear full ruby colour; wonderfully scented nose, roses, a touch of musk, fresh raspberries; the palate is supple, elegant yet persistent, with bright red fruits and a sapid, silky mouthfeel, a touch of salinity, a touch of chalky minerality, and good length. It drinks so well, it is hard to resist with its freshness, fine texture, and fruit, but there is also depth and complexity here and it will also reward mid-term (3~10 years from now) cellaring.