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Château Closiot

From Burgundy to Barsac: Guffens Strikes Again
Château Closiot
For those who don’t know him, it may come as a surprise to hear that Burgundy’s enfant terrible—and the winemaker behind one the greatest domaines in the Mâconnais—now makes wine in Bordeaux, too. In fact, Jean-Marie Guffens first visited Bordeaux in ’76, years before he purchased his first vineyard in Mâcon-Pierreclos. But it wasn’t the region’s more famous red wines that took his fancy; rather, it kindled Guffens’ love affair with great Sauternes and Barsac, particularly Château d’Yquem.

Over 40 years later, having established two iconic properties in Burgundy, Guffens was offered the chance to purchase the historic Château Closiot from prominent Belgian wine journalist Bernard Sirot. With Julien Desplans—his right-hand man in Burgundy—effectively running the operation there, we gather Guffens could not pack his suitcase fast enough!

Château Closiot covers eight hectares, making it one of the smallest in Barsac (for comparison, Climens has 30 and Coutet 18 hectares). The vines sit on the Clos Bonneau, an exceptional terroir where red earth dotted with pebbles rests on the Barsac plateau’s typical limestone base. Notably, the soils are relatively cool, imbuing Guffens’ wines with mineral steel and freshness to offset the late-picked fruit. Surrounded by Climens, Doisy-Védrines and Coutet, the clos is planted almost exclusively to Sémillon, complemented by Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc. It includes a generous four-hectare parcel of 100-year-old vines.

With just a handful of harvests under his belt, Guffens hit the ground running, producing sweet wines of great beauty and “one of greatest dry whites of the Barsac region”, according to La Revue du Vin de France. But what else would you expect from this iconoclastic perfectionist? These are superb, unique Bordeaux wines of extraordinary character, aromatic intensity, concentration and underlying energy, and we recommend them highly.

The Wines

Château Closiot 'Le C de Sec' Bordeaux Blanc 2020

Château Closiot 'Le C de Sec' Bordeaux Blanc 2020

This is our first dry white from Jean-Marie Guffens' new white Bordeaux project. Having established two iconic properties in Burgundy, Guffens was given the opportunity to purchase the historic Château Closiot from Bernard Sirot (a well-known Belgian wine journalist). From what we hear, Guffens could not pack his suitcase quickly enough. And this wine is enough to tell us why. 

Château Closiot covers eight hectares on the formidable Clos Bonneau, an exceptional terroir where red earth dotted with pebbles rests on the limestone base typical of the Barsac plateau. Surrounded by Climens, Doisy-Védrines and Coutet, the clos is planted mainly to Sémillon and includes a generous four-hectare parcel of 100-year-old vines. The property’s dry wine includes a portion of the rare Sauvignon Gris, with both varieties vinified entirely in oak with approximately 25% new barrels. 


“Dominated by Sémillon that's picked late, just before botrytis really takes off in the vineyards, Guffens's 2020 Le C du Sec du Château Closiot is very promising, exhibiting inviting aromas of stone fruit, orange oil, beeswax, ripe melon, vanilla pod and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with racy acids, chalky structuring extract and a long, penetrating finish, it's one of the most interesting dry wines being produced in Bordeaux today.”
94 points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate
“The 2020 Le C Sec du Chateau Closiot leaps with intense notes of freshly squeezed lemons, lime zest, orange blossoms, and struck flint, giving way to suggestions of yuzu and shaved almonds. The medium-bodied palate is charged with energetic citrus and mineral flavors, supported by a crisp backbone and satiny texture, finishing long with a saline lift. Produced by Jean-Marie Guffens from Burgundy, this is a very different style Bordeaux blanc with clear Burgundian influences and I love it!”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
Château Closiot 'Le C de Sec' Bordeaux Blanc 2020
Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018

Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018

Seduced by several old vintages of Yquem during his first visit to Bordeaux in 1976, Jean-Marie Guffens became a life-long fanatic of Sauternes. Over 40 years later—and after having established two iconic properties in Burgundy—he was given the opportunity to purchase the historic Château Closiot from Bernard Sirot (a well-known Belgian wine journalist). From what we hear, Guffens could not pack his suitcase fast enough.

Château Closiot covers eight hectares on the formidable Clos Bonneau, an exceptional terroir where red earth dotted with pebbles rests on the limestone base typical of the Barsac plateau. Surrounded by Climens, Doisy-Védrines and Coutet, the clos is planted almost exclusively to Semillon, and includes a generous four-hectare parcel of 100-year-old vines.

With just two vintages under his belt, Guffens has hit the ground running, producing “sweet wines of great beauty” as well as the “greatest dry white of the Barsac region” (La Revue du Vin de France). Rather than using the morning mists, Guffens prefers harvesting under the first rays of the sun to obtain concentrated botrytis, and his team harvest a meticulous selection of berries in six successive pickings spread over 10 days. In the cellar, the juice is aged in 50% new oak for one year before the wine goes back into vats for 12 months to preserve the freshness and tension typical of the great terroirs of the region.

A Barsac of extraordinary aromatic intensity, concentration and underlying energy. The nose opens with notes of jasmine, honey and yellow flowers alongside roasted apricot and peach. On the palate, expect a beautiful array of sweet citrus, quince paste and candied ginger, all slowly tapering to a long caressing finish that remains wonderfully refreshing.

A Barsac of extraordinary aromatic intensity, concentration and underlying energy. The nose opens with notes of jasmine, honey and yellow flowers alongside roasted apricot and peach. On the palate, expect a beautiful array of sweet citrus, quince paste and candied ginger, all slowly tapering to a long caressing finish that remains wonderfully refreshing.

“The 2018 Bonneau is performing brilliantly, exhibiting complex aromas of beeswax, barley sugar, mandarin orange, apricots and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping palate, with a satiny attack and a bright spine of acidity. Concluding with a long, botrytis-inflected finish, it's another compelling wine from Jean-Marie Guffens.”
95 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“Located in Barsac, this estate was one of the last to pick at end the of October/early November. Bright and pale gold colored, the 2018 Clos Bonneau comes tripping out of the glass with wonderful botrytis-inspired notions of beeswax, fungi and musk perfume over a core of lemon marmalade, citrus peel, dried apricots and allspice plus wafts of candied ginger and preserved kumquats. Full, rich, seductive and totally opulent, the palate delivers wonderful freshness cutting through the intense flavors, finishing spicy.”
92-94 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018
Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018 (375ml)

Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018 (375ml)

Seduced by several old vintages of Yquem during his first visit to Bordeaux in 1976, Jean-Marie Guffens became a life-long fanatic of Sauternes. Over 40 years later—and after having established two iconic properties in Burgundy—he was given the opportunity to purchase the historic Château Closiot from Bernard Sirot (a well-known Belgian wine journalist). From what we hear, Guffens could not pack his suitcase fast enough.

Château Closiot covers eight hectares on the formidable Clos Bonneau, an exceptional terroir where red earth dotted with pebbles rests on the limestone base typical of the Barsac plateau. Surrounded by Climens, Doisy-Védrines and Coutet, the clos is planted almost exclusively to Semillon, and includes a generous four-hectare parcel of 100-year-old vines.

With just two vintages under his belt, Guffens has hit the ground running, producing “sweet wines of great beauty” as well as the “greatest dry white of the Barsac region” (La Revue du Vin de France). Rather than using the morning mists, Guffens prefers harvesting under the first rays of the sun to obtain concentrated botrytis, and his team harvest a meticulous selection of berries in six successive pickings spread over 10 days. In the cellar, the juice is aged in 50% new oak for one year before the wine goes back into vats for 12 months to preserve the freshness and tension typical of the great terroirs of the region.

A Barsac of extraordinary aromatic intensity, concentration and underlying energy. The nose opens with notes of jasmine, honey and yellow flowers alongside roasted apricot and peach. On the palate, expect a beautiful array of sweet citrus, quince paste and candied ginger, all slowly tapering to a long caressing finish that remains wonderfully refreshing.

A Barsac of extraordinary aromatic intensity, concentration and underlying energy. The nose opens with notes of jasmine, honey and yellow flowers alongside roasted apricot and peach. On the palate, expect a beautiful array of sweet citrus, quince paste and candied ginger, all slowly tapering to a long caressing finish that remains wonderfully refreshing.

Château Closiot Barsac Cuvée Bonneau 2018 (375ml)

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