Céline & Frédéric Gueguen

We started importing wines from Frédéric Gueguen (gay-gan) and his wife Céline back in 2006. Céline is the daughter of one of Chablis’ largest producers – Jean-Marc Brocard. Her husband Frédéric was the vineyard manager for the Brocard estate, and with the help of Jean-Marc they purchased their own domaine in 2003. They made excellent wines from their own estate while Fred continued running the vineyards and co-managing the Brocard operation, until a family rupture tore everything apart in 2012.

When the dust settled, Fred and Céline were no longer involved with the Brocard operation in any way, and they set off on their own once again. They were able to purchase a number of excellent vineyard parcels, including some very nice pieces of well-situated Chablis and two Chablis 1er Crus, and the new incarnation of Domaine Gueguen was born in 2013. We are thrilled to have the Gueguen wines back – they’ve been some of our most popular selections over the years, and personal favorites as well.

They have 54 acres all told, with holdings primarily in the Chablis villages of Préhy (where they live), Chichée, and La Chapelle Vaupelteigne (where Fred’s family is from.) Chardonnay from these three sites combine to make an excellent example of what Chablis is all about – crisp, bright fruit, laser-pure acidity, notes of iodine and crushed rock, and a whiff of salty sea air on the nose.

We've enjoyed many great meals and evenings at their ancient stone farmhouse in Préhy (below). Fred's a huge red Burgundy fan, and always seems to have something special tucked away in his cellar. He's also a fellow soccer geek, and has season tickets to the Auxerre matches - which came in handy when Auxerre was in the Champions League and I got to see them play Real Madrid a few years back.

Frédéric is a meticulous vigneron, a very attentive farmer whose vines are clearly well-tended. In the winery, he's very old-school and hands-off. No wood, no magic tricks, just pure and classic Chablis. These wines are regulars at our table. Be sure to grab some when you see the offers come your way, or we'll have to drink them all!