The artisan cooperage at the domain
For over twenty years now, an unusual glow lights up the secular buildings of the Château d’Ampuis. Here, at the heart of the outbuildings from the 15th and 17th centuries, Maison Guigal chose to reconnect with a craft which is as rare as it is precious: the art of barrel making. In 2003, motivated by a desire to further its intimate understanding of wine and the ageing process, the domain launched into this demanding, almost secretive venture. A rare privilege, shared by very few wine growing properties in France.
An ancestral expertise
Every day, in the calm of the workshop, the cooper crafts, assembles and toasts the staves of oak destined to house the great wines of the domain. Each gesture is precise, inherited from an ancestral craft. The wood from the tallest trees in the most beautiful French forests provide the tightest grain. This step is crucial: the mastering of an additional stage in the winemaking process, the absolute control of the ageing process from the selection of the oak to the very last hit of the hammer.
The Guigal trademark
Each year, nearly 1000 barrels are produced in the domain’s cooperage allowing Maison Guigal to age all its emblematic wines in made-to-measure barrels. This rare independence confers a unique trademark on the wines: one of precision, patience and a profound respect for tradition. Some of the wines remain under oak for more than three years, slowly polished by time until they obtain the purest expression of the Guigal style.
