Gaunoux, Francois

The eighty-year-old Gaunoux, who runs his small estate with his daughter Claudine, is one of those vignerons who doesn't let critics into his cellar, doesn't give tastes out of his barrel and doesn't let just anyone buy his cult-inspiring wines. He's the head of a winemaking family who isn't in it for profit; they're in it to stay true to their regional roots. Domaine François Gaunoux, just ten hectares in the heart of Beaune and Meursault, farms its grapes by hand; Claudine says that she likes her vines to "look like a garden." Contrary to expectation, father François is the one who favors technological innovation--he's installed temperature-controlled vats for fermentation; however, daughter Claudine hews close to traditional methods, choosing minimal racking, limited oak, and emphasizing the fruit and terroir. The result is wine that's revelatory: dense, palate-coating, resplendent with flavor, and absolutely imbued with Burgundy terroir.

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