TWO MINUTES WITH | Guillaume d’Angerville
In 2003, Guillaume d’Angerville abruptly quit his job with JP Morgan in Paris to take over his family’s Burgundy domaine, Marquis d’Angerville, after the sudden and unexpected death of his father. The famous estate spans a total of 15 hectares, of which 12 are in Volnay – the vast majority of them premiers crus. The jewel in the domaine’s crown is the Clos des Ducs, one of the great monopoles of the Côte de Beaune which, like the rest of its vineyards, was converted to biodynamic viticulture in 2006
What is your ‘last supper’ wine?
Volnay 1er cru Champans 1964, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville. Certain vintages enhance the specific qualities of a given village – and for Volnay, 1964 is one of those dream vintages. All Volnays produced that year were magnificent. The Champans ‘64 is a wine I’ve tasted many times, over a very long period. My father served it often at family gatherings in the late ‘60s. He had kept enough of it that I could still enjoy it in my 20s, in my 30s and so on and so on…
I tasted it again more recently, in New York, at a dinner themed around the domaine’s wines. One of the guests had brought a bottle of Champans ’64, which we drank alongside a Clos des Ducs, Monopole, ’64. It was a rare occasion when Champans outshone Clos des Ducs. It seems fitting to choose this wine for my last supper. But no rush: I am confident it will still be vibrant in 30 years.
Where is your dream vineyard?
At the time when I was looking to create another estate outside Burgundy, Alsace was on the short list. I eventually went for Jura and started Domaine du Pélican in Arbois. But my soft spot for Alsace, and specifically Alsatian Riesling, is still there. The more I age, the more I like and drink Riesling. There are plenty of magnificent terroirs in Alsace, but if I had to name one, it would be Clos Sainte Hune at Domaine Trimbach. Clos Sainte Hune never fails to amaze me with its energy, its balance, its purity and its magnificent Riesling nose. A dream that will remain so: last time I checked, the Trimbachs were not sellers!
Who is your wine hero?
Sem d’Angerville, my grandfather. Here is a man who arrived in Volnay around 1903 without much wine experience, if any. He proceeded to replant the family estate he had inherited, that had been destroyed by phylloxera. He quickly established his reputation as a skilled winemaker – a man of conviction and visionary who wanted to protect what he called ‘authentic wines’. Through him, Marquis d’Angerville was among the first Burgundy family domaines to estate-bottle. Finally, he and Henri Gouges were mandated by their peers to document the official [premier and grand cru] hierarchy of Burgundy as we know it today. Both men were respected for their impeccable ethics [it is said they didn’t put forward any grands crus from their own villages of Volnay and Nuits St Georges, to ensure the process was seen as impartial].
What’s the next big thing in wine?
The next big thing in wine (as opposed to viticulture or winemaking) may well be less speculation and a triumphant return of the old-fashioned concept of ‘value-for-money’. While I can’t be sure it will happen, we would all stand to benefit if it did.
What’s your favorite wine memory?
Maybe 15 years ago, I was a lucky, privileged participant at a dinner where Domaine Georges Roumier’s 1947 Les Amoureuses was served, in the presence of Christophe Roumier. Christophe’s generosity, our hosts’ friendship, the good company, the quiet spring evening in Burgundy… everything contributed to making it unforgettable.
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