The “Clos” itself is an enclosed vineyard that has been continuously planted with vines for 1100 years. There are no parcels like it: the vineyard has never had any chemicals used on it since the 10th century, nor has the vineyard ever been planted with any modern clone of any grape. Remnants of an old Roman wall stand on the property, witness to eleven centuries of winemaking heritage dating back to the powerful medieval monks of Cluny.

Julien Guillot is the present-day steward of this land, worked by his family since 1954. Even back then, Julien’s grandfather Pierre was always adamant about making wine organically, using no chemicals, herbicides, pesticides or sulphur – resisting the post-war industrialization wave that was sweeping through the agricultural heartlands. When Julien’s father, Alain, later took over the domaine, he stood by the same philosophy. Julien himself joined the domaine in 1998, which is when he took the farming practices one step further and introduced the first biodynamic preparations, eventually converting the entire vineyard. (It has been Demeter-certified since 2005.)

As far as history goes, Clos des Vignes du Maynes has remained pristine, reliant only on mother nature’s good graces and an ancient savoir faire passed down through generations of steadfast vineyard stewards. Julien is fortunate in that he has never had to undo what his predecessors had done to the land.

The 6-hectare clos is set in idyllic surroundings, blessed with unique geographical features that impart great complexity and unusual minerality to the wines. This special terroir comprises three parcels planted with three indigenous grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay, in roughly equal proportion. During the harvest, grapes are carefully handpicked and sorted meticulously in the vineyard, and then placed in small containers, in order not to damage them during their journey to the winery.

In the cellar, Julien uses natural yeasts, no sulphur, no enzymes and no chemical additives. The wooden vats are cleaned thoroughly beforehand, and they are scrubbed with marc de Bourgogne to stimulate the yeasts.

For the red wines, he carries out a semi-carbonic maceration, using a very precise method that has been perfected over three generations. The basic principle is to create a multi-layered ‘cake’ built up of alternate layers of whole clusters and destemmed grapes. The latter will produce the first juice, which will flow out, start fermenting, and thus activate the natural yeasts (with the sugars), which gives the body and smoothness that he is looking for in his wines. At the same time, because the vat is saturated with CO2, an intracellular fermentation takes place, which brings out the elegant floral aromas (rose and peony) that are typical of pinot noir. Then, after four or five days, he does a very light pumping over as well as a punching down of the cap. This is done in order to release the sugars and yeasts, and thus trigger a long and gentle fermentation.

All of the red wines are then matured in barrels or old oak vats, and left undisturbed until Easter, when they are assembled in one vat per cuvée and left to rest for two full moons. The white wines are matured in large vats in order to maintain their freshness and CO2 levels, and to avoid having any oaky overtones, which he finds undesirable in his wines. Unless absolutely necessary, he does not add any SO2 before bottling, nor are the wines fined or filtered. Wines from outside the Clos in Cruzille are from small parcels in the Mâcon and Beaujolais, and are vinified with the same techniques as those from the Clos.

And he’s a darling of the so-called natural wine movement, his wines coveted by Parisian cavistes and East Coast sommeliers alike. They merit all the attention, because Guillot is far from a follower of fashion… — William Kelley What Clos des Vignes du Maynes’ appellations lack in grandeur is made up for in the domaine’s unimpeachable history and winemaking acumen. The vineyards have never been treated with pesticides or herbicides, and have always been replanted using selection massale. — Aaron Ayscough, Not Drinking Poison in Paris

Julien is a dynamic wine thinker, someone who never stops observing and learning. His sole mission: terroir expression.

“I think that the feeling you get in your mouth is very important: the texture of the wine, its silkiness or velvety touch [ … ] I am looking for finishes that reflect the wine’s terroir as authentically as possible. It is essential for the geology to come out in each wine, be it granite, limestone or white clay. The grape variety is actually less important because it simply acts as a vector for the terroir.”

He is an enthusiastic student of history — a fitting passion for the guardian of such a singular vineyard. For his iconic Cuvée 910, in 2009 and 2010, he even reenacted a medieval harvest and the transportation of the barrels by traditional oxcart to Cluny Abbey nine months later. But as Julien notes, in those times, wines had an alcohol level of only 8%, an observation which has led him to become especially invested in the topic of climate change.

All the hype you’ve heard (and will read in the coming weeks as well-known wine publications release their reports) about vintage 2019 is true, and at Clos des Vignes du Maynes, Julien has delivered what we believe to be the domaine’s finest moment yet. The gift of the vintage is its delivery of unbridled ripeness with outstanding energy. In the best examples, you’ll experience perfect sweetness of fruit that doesn’t weigh down the palate, and which reverberates with ethereal inner-mouth perfume. And this is what you’ll encounter in the 2019 releases from Domaine des Vignes du Maynes.

We’re super excited to be one of the first few places on the planet to receive the full set of the domaine’s famous red cuvées, which we are thrilled to offer to you today. Beyond this, we’ve also included a limited number of magnums as well as a special library release of the Marc and Fine de Bourgogne from the early 2000s. The latter are exceptional Burgundian brandies that were produced in minuscule quantities of less than 140 bottles each, so we’re not kidding when we say they’re incredibly rare.

The line-up at Clos des Vignes du Maynes offers a complex gustatory exploration of this special property and its uniquely preserved terroir. We were mind-blown when tasting these 2019s; these beauties are greatness in the making. Quantities are very limited, however, so allocation rules will apply. As with any offers of such a nature, balanced orders and Artisan Cellars’ most supportive customers will receive priority.

This offer is valid until 25 January 2021. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice is sent in order to confirm the purchase. All terms and conditions apply.