A new vigneron on the horizon, Benjamin Guilbert did not come from a winemaking family. He has carved his own path in the wine world beginning with oenology studies in Macon, followed by an oenologue diploma in Montpellier. He then pursued a Master of Science at the International Organization of Vine and Wine, where he was able to travel across 25 countries in just 11 months. During this period, Benjamin worked at some of the world’s most renowned estates, including Château Smith-Haut Lafitte, Château Haut-Bron, Domaine de Montille, Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Domaine Trimbach, Domaine Guigal, and Clos de Lambrays. Naming his mentor as Jacky Truchot, a former Morey-Saint-Denis based producer, being one of his greatest inspirations.

Thanks to all this indepth study and dedication to the craft, Benjamin and his wife were able to take on their next challenge, their own wine estate.

Not compromising on quality, the couple sought out the best plots they could find and finally landed in the classic Burgundy region, in the heart of Savigny Les Beaune. With entry into the Burgundy region nigh on impossible now, it was thanks to an investor, Réne Gillet, that this project came to life. Thus the Guilbert-Gillet Domaine was secured in 2020. A modest estate with a small house hidden away among the vines, the winery sitting beneath the house ready for production. Remaining small in plots, it allows Benjamin and his wife Caroline to manage the estate as a whole, working tirelessly to bring their first few vintages to life.