Deep in Burgundy’s southeast, far from the storied crus of the Cote-d’Or, Jérôme Guichard quietly farms two and a half hectares of Chardonnay and Gamay, making wines that are intense and iconoclastic. Midway through a career as a paysagiste, or landscape architect, Jérôme had the good fortune to encounter Beaujolais legend Phillippe Jambon, who introduced him to the mysteries of ripe grapes and judicious barrel-aging. In 2011, Jérôme purchased the domaine of Guy Blanchard in the village of Montbellet. Already well known as an advocate of natural winemaking, Guy had since 2007 been making rich, pure juice Chardonnays, a style that Jerome hoped to continue. To Jerome, Guy left his vines, a limestone farmhouse, and a rustic but practical chai.

Jerome’s vineyard work could be described natural farming in the most superlative sense. Each vineyard brims with life. Moss clings to the base of his ancient vines. Grass, herbs and flowers grow freely, often reappearing in the heady aromatics of his wines. Since 2019, ploughing is no longer conducted and copper spray, despite being authorized for organic farming, is no longer used to treat mildew. To Jérôme, the benefits of this approach are self-evident: he believes that despite lower yields, his soils have never been healthier.  

In the cellar, Jérôme never compromises with additions or subtractions of any type. Beginning with ripe fruit, fermentation tends to be very long. Élevage may last up to five years – or as long it takes for a wine’s acidity, which can be bracing, to reach an equilibrium with its fruit. Jérôme’s chardonnays are generally bottled by parcel, demonstrating the unfettered potential of each site. A ten minute stroll from his chai, Bouchat Chardonnay reveals the full range of densities and textures offered by the grape grown on predominantly clay soil. One might think of Bouchat as Jerome’s most “Mâconnais” wine, with its gentle floral aromatics. Ten minutes further, past a 13th century Hospitallers’ church, Les Perrières is a parcel of ninety-year-old Chardonnay planted to giant chunks of limestone. In the best years, Perrières produces the oft-promised but rarely delivered nobility of a grand white Burgundy. Since 2017 Jérôme also grows Gamay at a site called Promess, planted to a steep, east-facing slope near Viré-Clessé. Despite its rather chilly location, ripeness here is rarely a problem and Jérôme coaxes an almost carob-like contrast of brooding and bright textures.

As natural winemaking enters the mainstream – even in Burgundy – Jérôme’s commitment to craft feels all the more relevant. Like his labels, which feature a straightforward font on a stark cream background, Jerome’s wines do not shout to the world with color, innuendo, or gimmick. Instead they demonstrate one vigneron’s quiet courage to be patient and listen, refuting the tired and essentialized tropes of classical Burgundy. In our struggle against fast gratification and uniformity, Jérôme can teach us a lot. Less is often more, and quicker is rarely better.  

-A.S.