Unlike most vignerons in Burgundy, Benjamin Guilbert does not come from a winemaking family. After completing oenology studies in Macon, followed by an oenologue diploma in Montpellier, Benjamin pursued a Master of Science at the International Organization of Vine and Wine, which led him to 25 countries in just 11 months.
During his stage periods, Benjamin worked at some of the world’s most renowned estates, including Château Smith-Haut Lafitte, Château Haut-Bron, Domaine de Montille, Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Domaine Trimbach, Domaine Guigal, and Clos de Lambrays. “My mentor is Jacky Truchot,” reveals Benjamin, citing the former Morey-Saint-Denis based producer as one of his greatest inspirations. In 2020, Benjamin co-founded Domaine Guilbert Gillet in Savigny-lès-Beaune with his partner René Gillet.
“The philosophy of farming is organic with a high trellising system,” says Benjamin. The family-owned winery cultivates 3.6 hectares of vineyards, including 0.5 hectares of white grapes, in the heart of Savigny les Beaune and Chorey (with only one vineyard). Their wines are a true expression of the region’s distinctive terroir, and they take great pride in producing some of the region’s finest bottles, including the 1er Cru Rouvrettes and 1er Cru Les Peuillets.
With a strong commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices, they ensure that their vines remain healthy and robust to produce the highest quality grapes. Their 0.7 hectares of vines in Echalas are meticulously tended, with work done by hand and with horse-drawn plows. This dedication led to the creation of their first cuvée of Savigny “échalas” in 2022, alongside Aligoté and Savigny 1er Cru Les Rouvrettes. Domaine Guilbert Gillet firmly believes that each vineyard plot is unique and deserves individual attention. As a result, they approach each of their 12 plots differently, tailoring their methods to the specific growth and terroir of each one to produce wines that are truly exceptional and one-of-a-kind.
Benjamin describes his winemaking process as “traditional Burgundian winemaking, with mostly all things done by hand from harvest to bottle.” For reds, fruit is destemmed, and all wines are aged in barrel and racked / bottled by gravity prior to release.
“I love discovering new wines from different areas with my father,” Benjamin reveals, citing that the unique mircro-terroirs of Burgundy are what inspires him most. “That’s why I produce mostly parcellaire wines—to reveal the terroir of each area I farm,” he says. Currently, the newest release from the estate will be an old vine cuvée from the 1er cru of Les Peuillets in Savigny. “The wine is also an experimentation to see the difference between old vines from 1955 and young vines planted in 1987 in the same vineyards,” Benjamin reveals. We are immensely grateful to follow Benjamin on his youthful-yet-promising journey in Burgundy.
