Henri de Villamont

A legend throughout the entire Côte-d’Or, Henri de Villamont can be easily spotted from miles around due to its famous “Guettes Tower” and beautiful manor house, which has drawn wine lovers on a Burgundy pilgrimage for many decades. Located in the heart of one of the region’s prettiest villages, Savigny Les Beaune, Henri de Villamont is a magical place, surrounded by high walls and scores of Premier Cru vineyards. The property is owned by a major Swiss family company that has been in the wine business for over 20 years; the winery now boasts an impressive cellar with a capacity for 4,000 French oak barrels. However, despite the initial impression of large (by local standards) volumes, quality (not quantity) is the overriding aim of this estate. The winemaking philosophy of cellar master Pierre Jehan has always been to express each appellation’s typicity, respecting what the terroir and vintage gives. The resulting wines are never anything less than excellent – bottles bursting with depth, weight, texture, and elegance.

This historic cellar traces its roots to the latter part of the 19th century and is closely connected to the famous Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru vineyard’s history. At the time, its sole owner, Leonce Bocquet, wished to embark upon an unprecedented project for his family and create a modern winery and cellar at the heart of the Cote de Beaune. After searching for the perfect location, Bocquet decided upon the village of Savigny-Les-Beaune. At the time, the leading architect, Albert Suisse, was commissioned to build the winery, a monumental undertaking that took 8 years.

However, the result was worth the effort – a, by the standards of the time, deluxe winery facility with a formidable barrel cellar and the latest equipment at the winemakers’ disposal. The family kept control of the estate for many years until it fell into the Martenot family’s hands, who used the property as a base for their cheese business, no less! The property’s salvation came in the form of Schenk, a Swiss firm that purchased the estate in 1964. Schenk named the property ‘Henri de Villamont’ – in honor of a crusading knight who retired in the village. In 1969, Schenk added the famous Dr. Arthur Barolet cellar to their purchases.

In recent times, the Schenk group has invested great sums into maintaining Henri de Villamont at the highest level and should be commended for the care and attention they have bestowed upon this historic cellar. At the cost of over 2 million Euros, a new winery was installed in 2006, and yields have been significantly reduced – a fraction of what was produced in the 1990s. Pierre Jean, who joined Henri de Villamont in 1999, is still in charge of the winemaking and continues to craft superlative wines across the board – be it a Puligny Montrachet or a Pommard Premier Cru. Such consistency across a large range of appellations where the estate has holdings is laudable, particularly as the wines have a grace and charm that sets them apart. Oak is always perfectly judged and never overwhelms the magic of fruit inherent to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in Burgundy. So, please don’t come here looking for powerful blockbusters, but rather elegant, beautiful wines that remain true to their Burgundian appellations. Formidable!