Domaine du Pelican

If you drink Burgundy, you might have heard of a little estate in Volnay called Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, producing some of the most sought after wines in all of Burgundy. What you may not know is the inspirational story of how one meal changed and inspired Guillaume d'Angerville to set his sights for a surprising new venture into the Jura.

Thirteen years ago, Guillaume was at lunch with his wife at the Parisian restaurant Taillevent. He and the sommelier have a routine; serve a wine blind, from anywhere in the world except Burgundy. They tasted and were certain that the sommelier had made a mistake, it was a Chardonnay and they were certain it was from Burgundy. It was a 2005 Domaine Stéphane Tissot Arbois Chardonnay.

Guillaume hadn't thought of the Jura much other than a place of a million pine trees, Comté cheese, and Morteau sausage. It's a cold place in the foothills of the Alps on the border with Switzerland. He decided it was time for him to investigate the region of Jura in depth. He set off with his estate manager François Duvivier from the D'Angerville family's estate in Volnay.

They spent five years looking at properties for sale and learning about the Jura. Guillaume works with a geologist named Yves Herody. All of the properties they looked at were assessed by him. The vineyards had to have many distinct attributes, correct exposure to the sun, good drainage and the proper soils.

In 2012 they finally found an estate near Arbois that had been farmed organically. It had mature Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau, Chardonnay and Savignin vines. Soon after the sale was complete they found a second property of five hectares in Arbois that had never been treated with chemicals. Domaine du Pelican was founded then and there in the hamlet of Montigny-les-Arsures.

In time, Guillaume was able to purchase a third property—that of famed Jura vigneron Jacques Puffeney who was ready to retire. Not only did he acquire a great estate, he started a long friendship with one of the most respected and experienced vignerons in the region. These wines bring a certain Burgundian elegance to balance the wildness that is so indicative of the Jura, and they are only getting better year after year.