Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux et Fils

Meursault is hallowed ground for Chardonnay, a paradise for Burgundy collectors, and home to Domaine Jean-Michel. Here, winemaker Henri Gaunoux makes elegant, mineral whites from Premier Cru Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet vineyards, plus regal Pinot Noir from plots in Volnay and Pommard. The Gaunoux family’s winemaking history stretches back to 1875, when Alexandre Gaunoux settled in the Côte de Beaune. His wines found a select few admirers, setting the stage for his son Henri to skyrocket the estate’s reputation for quality and expand its vineyard roster. After Henri passed away in 1972, his two sons divided up the vineyard parcels, creating Domaine Michel Gaunoux in Pommard and Domaine François Gaunoux in Meursault.Jean-Michel worked with his father at Domaine François Gaunoux for several years, but after acquiring vineyard parcels from his mother’s family in 1990, he ventured out on his own to start Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux. His vineyards include small parcels across the Côte d’Or—most notably his Premier Cru Meursault holdings—and Jean-Michel treats them all with the utmost care. He practices lutte raisonnée—the “reasoned struggle”—working the soils without pesticides and green harvesting to ensure low yields. In the cellar, Henri Gaunoux uses traditional methods and takes a light touch, using a modest amount of new oak and neither filtering nor fining his wines. His wines show the balance, purity, and age-worthiness that have long earned the Côte d’Or praise