Domaine Gouffier – 150 Years of Work and Passion
Domaine Gouffier’s story stretches back to the 19th century in the village of Fontaines, nestled between Mercurey and Rully in the Côte Chalonnaise. The property oozes history, its stunning, stone-domed cellar once served as a bunker in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte; and the estate has long remained within the extended Gouffier lineage, even as the name evolved across nearly two centuries.
When Frédéric Gueugneau was growing up in Fontaines, he often worked harvests at the domaine under Jérôme Gouffier. Years later, when Jérôme fell ill, Frédéric returned to manage day-to-day operations; after Jérôme’s passing, the family asked him to assume control of the estate in 2011, marking the beginning of its modern chapter. Frédéric brought valuable experience from La Chablisienne (eight years) and a clear vision: to reinvigorate the vineyards through organic farming and a restrained, terroir-first approach in the cellar.
Today, Gouffier farms 5.5 hectares spread across eight appellations throughout the Côte Chalonnaise (Fontaines itself has no classified vineyards), allowing Frédéric and his partner Benoît Pagot to offer several distinct expressions of the region, from Bouzeron and Mercurey to Montagny and broader Bourgogne lieux-dits. The domaine works with a single cooper, Doreau Tonneliers (Cognac), tailoring grain, toast and barrel format to each cuvée; remarkably, around 20% of the oak used for their barrels is sourced from the forest just beyond the estate’s walls. Élevage is precise rather than heavy-handed, emphasising transparency, fine tannin and texture.
In the winery, the philosophy is one of infusion over extraction: gentle handling, attentive macerations, and measured oak integration that frames—rather than masks—the fruit. Recent vintages reflect this intelligent approach with energy, precision and seamless balance, drawing increasing attention and accolades in France.
In short, Gouffier marries heritage and renewal: a historic cellar and multi-generational lineage, revitalised by organic viticulture and meticulous élevage, delivering Côte Chalonnaise wines that are articulate, vibrant and unmistakably of their place.
'Together with de Villaine, if I could pick only one domaine from the Côte de Chalonnaise then it would be this domaine. A wide range, but of simply brilliant wines, year-in, year-out'
'Gouffier have established themselves as the goto ’boutique’ wine producer of the Chalonnaise. If their wines appear on a wine list, I rarely pass them by!'
BILL NANSON – BURGUNDY REPORT
Domaine Yohan Lardy
Yohan Lardy is one of a new generation of terroir-focused producers in Beaujolais. He is the fifth generation in his family to grow wine in the Beaujolais, but 2012 was the first vintage under his own label. After finishing his studies in Beaune, Yohan spent time working for a biodynamic producer in Chile, before returning to his native Beaujolais. He now owns about 8 ha of vines split between Fleurie, Moulin à Vent, Chenas and Beaujolais-Villages.
Yohan’s experience in Chile encouraged him to adopt a very natural approach to tending his vines. He does all of the back-breaking work of ploughing and harvesting his vineyards by hand. He works organically in his vineyards, plowing in between the rows and vines so herbicides aren’t needed. The balance of biodiversity that he maintains makes using insecticides unnecessary. No sulphur is added during fermentation. He then ages his Cru wines in old Burgundy barrels for 8-10 months.
His wines are celebrated for a very aromatic, fruit-forward profile, with a complex, terroir-driven character and enjoyably soft tannins.
Along with the Moulin-a-Vent ‘Les Michelons,’ Yohan is bottling micro-cuvées from tiny plots in Fleurie, where he lives, Chenas, and Beaujolais-Villages. The Fleurie ‘Les Viviers’ is from 0.5 ha and Yohan makes just under 170 cases.
The Chenas is from an even smaller 0.22 ha plot that yields very small berried clusters. Then there’s 'The Poppy,' Yohan’s Vin de France Gamay sourced from Beaujolais-Village vines, and a little from Moulin-a-Vent. This is a juicy, fresh wine that absolutely screams gamay and jumps out of the glass aromatically. Yohan’s real treasure is the 1ha Moulin-a-Vent 'Les Michelons' vineyard, and its most profound expression is the cuvée 'Vieilles Vignes de 1903' sourced from the vines planted by the previous owner’s grandfather. This is a Cru Beaujolais for aging as it needs time to integrate all of its powerful structure and dense material. It points to the ultimate truth that beneath Yohan’s boyish energy is a serious and remarkably talented vigneron whose progress will be a great pleasure to follow for many years.
If you subscribe to the notion that the wine matches the winemaker, Yohan’s energy and unguarded good-humor will come as no surprise once you’ve tasted his wines. There is tremendous concentration and purity of fruit in the wines as well as great mineral structure. But there is a vivacity and lightness as well, reminiscent of Yohan as he cracks jokes about local eating or his preferences for tasting wines in the open air, on a hilltop over-looking the Beaujolais Crus.
