2023 Domaine du Cellier Aux Moines Les Dessus Givry Premier Cru 750 ml

Philippe Pascal knows something about building empires through pure quality.

For decades, he supervised some of the most important luxury brands in the world—names like Veuve Clicquot, Moët, Krug, and Bulgari—refusing to give an inch with fit and finish while helping to build LVMH into a world-conquering powerhouse.

During that run, Pascal bought one of the most historic properties in the Côte Chalonnaise, the Cellier aux Moines, which has a storied reputation but had fallen into disrepair. Rebuilding it to its fullest potential would take plenty of work, money, and expertise, but Philippe was committed—and had a secret weapon: All the top winemakers he could tap for advice, thanks to his day job.

Their advice meant an extensive renovation of the cellar—it’s entirely redone, and wine moves entirely by gravity now—and even more work in the vineyard. Most of the vines had been planted in the 1970s to clonal selections bred for high yields, and they needed to be ripped out and replanted to massale Pinot Fin, which produces small berries and small clusters that create wines with profound character.

He also abandoned the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyards, moving farming to organics (and now biodynamics). Hedging was limited, manual cultivation replaced herbicides, and the vineyards thrived. 

Finally, in 2015, Philippe knew he needed to find a superstar winemaker to take the project to the next level, and he tapped one of Burgundy’s fastest-rising talents: Guillaume Marko. The son of a Robuchon-trained chef, Marko trained at Domaine Romanée-Conti before moving on to Arnoux-Lachaux and Fredric Magnien. 

But Marko was clearly ready to helm his own project, and he has delivered Domaine du Cellier aux Moines to the top of the Chalonnaise hierarchy. There’s a reason this plot of land has been growing grapes since the 12th century, and Les Dessus is the prized climat of the vineyard. Replanted between 2008-2012, the vines are hitting their stride now, located at the top of the slope. The soils are ideal, with plenty of limestone mixed in with the clay, and the 2023 vintage delivered a warm, easy vintage that brought out the best of the site.