Domaine du Cellier aux Moines is proving that red wines from Givry, in Burgundy’s Côte Chalonnaise, belong alongside the great reds from the Côte d’Or. In the process, they are also remaking the image of that appellation from a place to find good wines to a site for potentially great wines. In short, the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines is the locomotive that will pull the wines of Givry into a bigger, more prestigious, station.
A vertical tasting in November 2025, showing every vintage of their Givry 1er cru “Clos du Cellier aux Moines” back to 2006, when the Pascal family acquired the Domaine, demonstrated how the family and its team are they are achieving this. Sampling every vintage is risky for a producer because you can’t “hide the warts” when the wines are presented as a set. That explains why producers hosting vertical tastings frequently show just selected vintages. However, by presenting every vintage, Philippe Pascal and winemaker Guillaume Marko showed how each innovation – both in the vineyard and in the cellar – enhanced the character and the quality of the wines.
It was an eye-opening tasting, even for Philippe and Guillaume, who had never sampled every vintage in chronological order, from the 2006 to the 2025. Many vertical tastings group wines by style or weight; presenting them chronologically is less frequently done. Another point of distinction in this tasting was that – unlike most vertical tastings that show the evolution of the wines, this one actually showed the evolution of an estate.
A little background about Domaine du Cellier aux Moines sets the stage to understand how the Domaine has evolved. As with much of Burgundy, the monks were involved (moines is French for monks). The Cistercian monks founded Domaine du Cellier aux Moines at roughly the same time in 12th century that they founded the iconic Clos de Vougeot in the Côte d’Or. Fast forward to 2004, when Philippe and Catherine Pascal acquired the Domaine. Philippe, no stranger to the world of wine, was the CEO of both Veuve Clicquot and Moët Hennessey, among other properties and brands, before embarking on this project.
The south-facing 13.4 hectare Clos du Cellier aux Moines, one of the vineyards originally granted Givry Premier Cru status (many other properties were added to the 1er Cru tier in 2010) is, without question, one of the best vineyards in Givry. With just under 5 hectares that are ideally situated in the mid-and upper slope of the appellation, Domaine du Cellier Aux Moines owns the largest, and arguably, the best located piece of it. Domaine Baron Thénard and Domaine Joblot own the remainder of Clos des Cellier aux Moines.
This tasting also showed something rarely seen in Burgundy or anywhere: The impact of the gradual, piece by piece, replanting of the vineyard. Pascal described the older vines as “producing grapes the size of potatoes.” Pascal remarks how Francois Lumpp, a top and respected producer in Givry who replanted 20 years earlier after he took over from his father, advised him “You will never get where you want to go unless you replant.”
The tasting validated the financially daunting project of replanting with a sélection massale of Pinot Noir that focused on quality rather than quantity. Philippe explains that when they acquired the property, the existing Pinot Noir vines were the typical Burgundy clones planted in the 1970s, whose chief attribute was their high yield. So, they knew they had to replant.
As they embarked on an extensive and expensive replanting project, Pascal’s team performed a remarkably detailed soil analysis allowing them to divide the vineyard into parcels, which would allow them to tailor the viticulture and timing of harvest to each plot, a technique the French call sélection parcellaire. From 2007 to 2012, they gradually replanted plot by plot, with a massale selection of vines from the Côte de Nuits. A massale selection, a traditional viticultural practice that propagates a variety of strong performing vines from the vineyard instead of using a “Mother” vine or clone, ensures genetic diversity and allows for selection of vines exhibiting favorable traits. They interrupted their replanting to assess its effects. Then, once they realized the vast improvement in the wines, they restarted the replanting in 2018, completing the project in 2024.
Tasting the wines during this period put into clear relief the gradual increase in refinement of the tannins as successive vintages had more and more fruit from younger, but higher-quality massale-selected vines. This tasting showed that the conventional wisdom that old vines produce superior fruit is not always true. Wines from old vines are not necessarily better if those vines had been selected for quantity over quality.
Parcellation in the vineyard does little good if the winery lacks vats or tanks of various sizes to handle the grapes from those differently sized parcels, so, along with the expense of replanting comes the expense of new custom-sized vats and tanks. This tasting taught me how precision viticulture coupled with precision winemaking led to the creation of at least three distinct wines from this 1er Cru vineyard: the standard bearer labeled Clos du Cellier aux Moines, a second wine labeled Petit Cellier, and a distinctive bottling, Clos du Cellier aux Moines Les Dessus, from the upper portion of the vineyard.
In 2015, Pascal introduced something unique in Burgundy at that time, a fully gravity-flow winery. And this tasting allowed you to see first-hand its impact, along with other important additions that occurred simultaneously.
The tasting added substance to the conventional wisdom that organic and biodynamic farming results in better wine. It was hard to miss the uptick in quality and refinement as Guillaume introduced organic and biodynamic farming also starting with the 2015 vintage.
Spoiler alert: the wines from this estate show a seemingly magical character of Burgundy that I call “flavor without weight.” They stand on equal footing with many of the Premier Crus from the Côte d’Or while showing the unique character of the Côte Chalonnaise. Even the earlier vintages, and especially the more recent ones, show additional power and density – black fruit rather than the characteristic red cherries that you’d customarily expect from the reds of Givry – without losing any elegance or finesse. Guillaume attributes the increased power to a combination of terroir and winemaking. He is one of the few producers, perhaps the only one in Givry, to use whole bunches and to extend fermentation to three weeks for maximum extraction. With more substance and depth atop a refined texture, the wines from the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines show the enormous potential of the appellation in general.
The Wines:
(Retail prices are listed for wines that are available according to Wine-Searcher.com at press time.)
2006: Pascal noted that as they waited for the large grapes from the old clones to ripen, they instead simply rotted, which in turn reinforced his decision to replant. At two decades of age, the 2006 displays clearly mature and engaging aromatics, but the palate is thick and prune-y and lacks typical Burgundian charm. 86 points. Drink up.
2007: Pascal’s first vinification explained the better balance in the 2007 compared to the ‘06, with acidity energizing this red-fruited wine. The lovely browning edge proclaims maturity, which follows on the palate with dried, rather than fresh, fruit notes. Still, as Philippe points out, the vintage again shows the difficulty in achieving adequate maturity with the old vine fruit. 90 pts. Drink now.
2008: This was the year the new team performed a “green harvest,” reducing the crop load to select the best bunches at the point of veraison to achieve full maturity of the remaining grapes. Despite that technique, the tannins are today a touch green and intrusive, a common problem across Burgundy with the 2008 reds. Nonetheless, the aromatics are marvelous as are the savory, animal-like notes that come with a mature wine. Good acidity keeps the wine fresh. 90 pts. Drink now – 2030.
2009: The marvelous ‘09 starts to show the value of replanting – it was their second year – and of vinification parcellaire. Of course, the overall quality of the vintage helped! An appropriately browning edge gives way to those gorgeous leafy aromatics of maturity. Nuances of clean mushrooms complement the dark fruit character of this long and balanced wine. Its amazing freshness, especially for a ripe vintage, just adds to its appeal. 93 pts. Drink now – 2035.
2010: With a broad grin, Pascal remarked that the 2010, a “narrow” wine, as he described it, confirmed the wisdom of replanting. Though with less volume, the energetic ‘10 still displays the similar mature nuances of clean mushrooms, but here accented by a sleek raciness. The impeccably balanced ‘10 actually comes across as a younger wine. Like many red Burgundies from these two vintages, it’s hard to decide which provides more enjoyment, the riper ‘09 or the racier ‘10. 93 pts. Drink 2028 – 2038.
2011: Pascal described how the 2011 harvest immediately reinforced his motivation to replant. He saw the stark difference between the color of the leaves and the maturity of the grapes from the newly replanted plots compared to the existing vines from when the property was purchased. The grapes from the old clones just didn’t ripen adequately during the cooler growing season of 2011. The wine, at 15 years, had fallen apart, tasting older than its chronological age. 84 pts. Drink up.
2012: “With this vintage,” Pascal proudly proclaimed, “We feel we are going in the right direction because we can feel the inclusion of enough of the massale-selected vines.” The gorgeous 2012, a huge step up from the ‘11, is a cross between the ‘09 and ‘10, but with enhanced elegance and a finer texture – cashmere rather than lambswool. I have had the ‘12 from my cellar several times over the past couple of years and it has consistently shown brilliantly. 95 pts. Drink now – 2040.
2013: A rainy spring with late flowering and an overall cool growing season led to a late harvest. I suspect the wine would have been an underripe disaster were it not for careful selection and the inclusion of grapes from the massale-selected vines that provided good phenolic ripeness. The surprisingly youthful and racy 2013 displays a mixture of mature dried and fresh red cherry-like notes atop a firm base. The fine tannins provide structure and support without being intrusive. 91 pts. Drink 2028 – 2040.
2014: The vintage was ruined by Drosophila suzukii (a.k.a., the Suzuki fly), which unlike the common fruit fly, destroys ripe grapes. Pascal explained how, “We were waiting for phenolic maturity which never occurred with the older clones.” He lamented that the sorting was essential and severe. The resulting wine was lighter with a touch of volatility. 87 pts. Drink now – 2030.
2015: The 2015 vintage represents a turning point for the Domaine, the start of a new era. Everything came together – a perfect “storm” of good things: Pascal recruited Guillaume Marko, who was to be instrumental in the conversion to organic, and eventually biodynamic, farming, the new gravity flow winery was ready, and they introduced Petit Cellier, a second wine that drew away all the slightly lesser juice away from the flagship bottling. Showing his business acumen, Philippe explains, “When you make a second wine, you can make a much more drastic sorting because you are not throwing stuff away.” And of course, the vintage proved to be, as Guillaume described it, “A perfect year.” In the cellar, they moved to longer aging in barrel and more whole bunch fermentation, which both Guillaume and Philippe felt added complexity and, importantly, with climate change, freshness. The stellar and juicy 2015, with now equal amounts of old and new vines, reflects these innovations. Despite its depth and richness, it is light on the palate, delivering the quintessential Burgundian “flavor without weight.” Savory mature nuances have yet to emerge, but the complexity of red and black fruit with layers of dark minerality are present front-and-center. I just had this wine from my cellar, which reinforced my impression from the tasting: The suave texture allows for current consumption though I would urge restraint since additional cellaring will provide tremendous rewards. This is truly a grand wine. 98 pts. Drink now – 2050.
2016: They lost half the crop to mildew in 2016, the first year they went entirely to organic farming. Nonetheless, Philippe was “so happy with what we did in ‘16 [that it] confirmed the decision to go organic. It was the acid test, and convinced me more than ever it was the right decision.” Gorgeous floral aromatics grab your attention and then an enchanting racy purity holds it. The ‘15 is a hard act to follow, but the long and refined ‘16 succeeds admirably. The pair is reminiscent of the 2009 – 2010, but with greater suaveness and precision. 95 pts. Drink 2030 – 2050.
2017: Most reds from the rather lightweight 2017 vineyard are at their peak or beyond. Not this one, which is still youthful. I attribute its vigor to the estate’s expansion towards biodynamic techniques, a longer élevage, and fewer older clones. Great aromatics precede juicy, ripe red cherry-like fruit atop suave tannins. $50. 93 pts. Drink 2030 – 2040.
2018: Philippe described the 2018 as “Another disaster for us” because a big and localized hailstorm reduced the crop and concentrated the wine. The ‘18, showing some warts, is clunky, lacking the usual elegance. Great aromatics that Guillaume attributed to whole bunch fermentation, along with dense, black cherry-like fruit predominate in this ripe wine. Low-ish acidity means it’s fine to drink now. Those who enjoy more concentrated Burgundy will embrace it. 87 pts. Drink now – 2030.
2019: The quality of the marvelous 2019 Clos du Cellier is all the more remarkable because a portion of what had always gone into the blend previously was now being bottled separately under the Clos du Cellier aux Moines Les Dessus label. Despite that, the 2019 sings with its fine tannins and silky texture highlighting an impeccable combination of dark cherry-like fruitiness atop a minerally base. Plenty of depth without a trace of heaviness makes this graceful beauty a great, youthful wine. $62. 95 pts. Drink 2029 – 2050.
Les Dessus, a bottling from the new vines planted on the upper parcel of the vineyard, made its debut in 2019. As part of their sélection parcellaire, Pascal had been making a single barrel of wine from that that upper parcel since 2012 after they started replanting it in 2008. It became obvious to the team that the plot was speaking in a different voice. Soil analysis confirmed their gustatory impressions. Compared to the Clos du Cellier aux Moines bottling, Les Dessus conveys far more minerality and less fruitiness without losing any gracefulness or elegance. It’s not your typical Givry. Philippe exclaimed, “It is extremely motivating to see we can make from this terroir.” 97 pts. Drink 2035 – 2065.
2020: A hot, dry year produced grapes with a higher ratio of skin to juice than usual. Guillaume extended the aging to 26 months to try to settle down the heavier and, at least at this stage, less elegant than usual Clos du Cellier aux Moines. For now, the tannins detract from the otherwise harmony of dark minerals and a rich, dark cherry-like fruitiness. The potential is present, but the wine needs time to attain the estate’s signature elegance. $68. 91 pts. Drink 2032 – 2052.
Polished tannins and a fine texture – no detraction here – of the ’20 Les Dessus show that the site is unique. Guillaume attributes vivacity of the wine to the use of whole bunch fermentation exclusively. This youthful and elegant gem once again combines dark fruit with an abundance of mineral-like quality. Philippe believes the “soil – the limestone – is speaking.” $140. 94 pts. Drink 2030 – 2050.
2021: The success of the Domaine’s 2021, another difficult vintage, reinforces the wisdom of Guillaume’s and Philippe’s approach. While many other ‘21s lack depth, the Cellier aux Moines has good concentration and what has become their hallmark, a harmonious mix of minerals and dark cherry fruitiness. 93 pts. Drink 2031 – 2051.
Once again, Les Dessus is just better in 2021, with a greater focus on a dark minerality than fruitiness along with more elegance and refinement. It is clearly not your typical Givry and reinforces how the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines has the potential to be a new benchmark for the appellation. $126. 96 pts. Drink 2031 – 2056
2022: The key lesson of the tasting – the value of replanting with sélection parcellaire – continues with the 2022. Clos du Cellier aux Moines. With more of the new plantings coming on-line and greater experience with the vineyard (which allowed the team to fine tune the viticulture), the ‘22 is a racier and more elegant version of the 2018. Dark and concentrated like the ‘18, the energy and finesse of the ‘22 balances its weight. $70. 93 pts. Drink 2032 – 2052
With the 2022 vintage, the contrast of the minerally Les Dessus and fruitier Clos du Cellier aux Moines continues, though this time the fruit in Les Dessus veered away from cherries to cassis. Still, the mineral component predominates. Polished, youthful tannins lend support without intruding on the suave texture. $134. 94 pts. Drink 2032 – 2052.
2023: This year marked the first time all the grapes came from the massale-selected vines, which may help explain the racy nature of the wine in a hot year in which many reds are a bit heavy. The youthful ‘23, with dark, black cherry-like fruitiness, is certainly ripe, but vibrant and energetic rather than heavy. $70. 94 pts. Drink 2035 – 2055.
I hate to repeat myself, but the ‘23 Les Dessus is just better. Since the fermentation and élevage are the same, the extra level of refinement and a far greater stoney substance must come from the uniqueness of the site. 96 pts. Drink 2035 – 2065.
2024: As with other “difficult” years for reds, like 2017 and 2021, Domaine du Cellier aux Moines made two smashingly successful ‘24s, at least judging from these barrel samples, which Philippe says are basically the final blend. I suspect that their success in these “lesser” years is due to their philosophy, technique, and unique approach to the appellation. Always refining their methods, they switched from barrel to stainless tank for fermentation to achieve better temperature control and prevent bacterial contamination. Philippe quips that this approach is “not as romantic nor picturesque, but it’s safer.” The stunning ’24 Clos du Cellier aux Moines displays more red than black cherry fruitiness, reflecting the overall cooler vintage. Racy and refined, its elegance more than makes up for the slight loss of power. 94 pts. Drink 2034 – 2054.
The splendid ‘24 Les Dessus, filled with plush minerals, is, unsurprisingly, more elegant and layered. But the step between it and the Clos du Cellier aux Moines is smaller compared with past vintages, which I attribute to the splendor of the latter in ‘24. 95 pts. Drink 2034 – 2054.
2025: Though not the final blend, the potential of both wines is easy to see. Pascal recounted how a “beautiful rain” fell on August 14, a perfect time to water the vines. As a result, they, luckily in retrospect, decided to speed up harvest, finishing on August 29. Just as the last grapes came into the winery, the heavens opened with hail and rain, delivering 130 mm (51 inches) over the next two weeks! Succulent, dark cherry-like flavors, buttressed by fine acidity, are apparent in Clos du Cellier aux Moines. Even at this youthful stage, the stature of Les Dessus shows, exhibiting more elegance and minerality balanced and enhanced by an uplifting saline-like acidity.
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June 17, 2026
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