Dominique Gruhier

The Story

In 2012, this historic estate celebrated its 800^th anniversary under one very motivated man, Dominique Gruhier. Dom took over this estate in 1990 and eventually found his way to organic practice and certification by 2010. Moved by the results of converting to organic practice, began a full renaissance of the estate, which now produces a stunning range of wine from the nearly forgotten red Burgundy appellation outside of Chablis, called Epineuil. The jovial and very casual Dominique ceaselessly wears his welcoming smile while he takes you through the journey that he began a quarter century ago. The wines are classically styled and with the change of philosophy (and climate!) have found new depth and promise. This is one of the greatest red wine producing estates from the northernmost appellations in Burgundy.

Lay of the Land

Epineuil is a tiny commune of only 100 hectares in total. It is located in the Tonnerrois region in northern France, making it a very cool winemaking region. The famous Kimmeridgian limestone soils, like that of Chablis, combined with a unique microclimate, facilitate very good growing conditions for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. This microclimate is due to the Langres Plateau which protects the vineyards of Epineuil from extremely cold winds that would otherwise create unfavorable conditions for Pinot Noir. The very few but exceptional winemakers of Epineuil bring into being world class red wine, rose and sparkling, the latter of which is classified as “Crémant de Bourgogne.”

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