Domaine Guion

Organic since 1965. Authentic, natural, low-sulfur reds. Family owned and operated.

Domaine Guion, in the village of Benais, in the heart of Bourgueil appellation and a stone’s throw from the banks of the Loire River was started by Stéphane’s parents in the 1950’s and was transformed to organic agriculture in 1965. After receiving an oenological degree Stéphane Guion worked in Bordeaux and Chinon, and started making wines in 1990, continuing the legacy of his parents. The wines of Domaine Guion are famous for their fine tannins, great aging potential, and great price.

His wines are well-respected and cherished, and he is highly regarded as one of the key members of the natural wine movement in the central Loire Valley.  His wines are focused, rustic and vibrant, with loads of crisp acidity and minerality. Also the wines are fresh, delicious, organic, and bursting with character, which makes it an extraordinary value-play in natural, authentic, low-sulfur red wine.

Stéphane Guion pays a lot of attention to viticulture, managing his 8.5 hectares of vineyards. He is a walking encyclopedia for anyone willing to adopt organic farming practices. Stéphane spends most of his time in the vineyards. He plows in the spring and once in early summer, leaving vegetation the rest of the year. Harvesting is exclusively by hand and fermentations are only with wild yeasts, with no sulfites added. There are no sulfites added at bottling, only a minimal amount to protect the wine after the malolactic fermentation.

Inside the cellar he exclusively uses wild yeasts and allows a moderate maceration of the grapes. The Cuvée Domaine, made from 8 to 30 year-old vines, is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks while the Cuvée Prestige, crafted from 35 to 80 year-old vines, ferments in wooden vats and ages in old barriques. Cuvée Domaine is entirely fermented and aged in tank, while Cuvée Prestige is allowed at least 12 months in barrel to age. Once the bottles are ready for aging, they are stored in a large cave shared with six other families that once served as a historic Resistance hideout during World War II.

Domaine Guion Bourgueil Cuvèe Prestige expresses the typical character of authentic Bourgueil, and it’s the result of a selection of old vines (40 to 80 years old) grown on limestone/clay terroir according to the techniques of organic agriculture. It is a well-structured wine with firm tannins, spicy cherry flavors and an excellent concentration. After three weeks of fermentation, without additives, in wooden vats and the wine was aged for twelve months in small, old oak barrels in their cellar.