The Amiot family: winegrowers in Burgundy since 1920
With a history that goes back to 1920, the Amiot family has been rooted locally in the Chassagne-Montrachet terroir for generations. The founders, Flavie and Arsène, introduced a winegrowing tradition which was passed down to their son Pierre, then to their grandson Guy and today to the 4th generation represented by the great grandsons, Thierry (1969), Fabrice (1973), and the 5th generation embodied by Thierry’s daughter, Héloïse (1995)
Arsène & Flavie
Pierre & Simone
Guy
Fabrice, Héloïse & Thierry
The history of the Amiot Guy & Fils family vineyard
«My sister is a nanny in Chassagne-Montrachet»
This answer changed the destiny of a family. In the 1900s, Flavie Amiot was a busy businesswoman, owner of a fine linen laundry in Boulogne, just outside Paris. Looking for a nanny to look after her unborn children, she asked the postwoman who told her that “my sister is a nanny in… Chassagne-Montrachet”! Marcel, Pierre, Lucienne and Robert, born in 1909, 1910, 1912 and 1914, were therefore brought up in Burgundy where their parents acquired houses, outbuildings and vineyards in preparation for their retirement in the 1950s.
1920: the creation of the domain
The saga began with the acquisition of the Chassagne-Montrachet plots Les Caillerets, Les Vergers, Clos Saint Jean and… Dents de Chien (Dogteeth, which became Le Montrachet grand cru in 1937).
Our Burgundy Chardonnay “Cuvée Flavie” is a tribute to this great lady, originally from Paris, who was able to start a wine estate in Burgundy.
The design of the bottle is inspired by the original Art-Nouveau style label dating from the Belle Époque period. Bottling at the estate was a rare practice as winemakers sold new wine in bulk to négociants (a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name). Flavie and her husband, Arsène, pioneered bottling thanks to their Parisian clientele.
1930s: 1st bottling at the estate
Pierre Amiot, born in 1910, studied at the Beaune viticultural college and became a winegrower in 1935-36. Thanks to the wealthy Parisian clientele of his parents’ laundry, direct sales to consumers developed. A wine shop was opened in the 17th arrondissement of Paris that sold bottles of Domaine Arsène Amiot until 1941. The vineyard expanded with the acquisition of plots from Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie, Les Champgains, Les Macherelles (1er cru) and Les Chaumes (Village).
1945-1984: Second generation and new acquisitions
After the war, prestigious plots such as Chaumées “Clos Saint Abdon” and Demoiselles in Puligny-Montrachet were added to the range of wines on the estate. Pierre Amiot and his wife Simone devoted their lives to the vineyard, the wine and to welcoming a clientele of visitors, mainly from Paris.
Our Burgundy Pinot Noir “Cuvée Simone” is a tribute to the second woman in the family to have devoted her life to the success of the family business. The label is also inspired by the Art-Nouveau style that marked the early days of Domaine Amiot.
1985: a new winemaking style and international development
Guy, Pierre’s son, gave the estate a new impetus: as a trained oenologist with a wealth of experience in winemaking outside Burgundy (Jura, Provence), he produced remarkable vintages with a new style from 1985 to 1995. Guy developed the international trade and the reputation of the Domaine throughout the world.
Today: the tradition continues with the 4th and 5th generations: Thierry and his daughter Héloïse for the vineyard and the cellar, Fabrice for the sales.
Guy Amiot entrusted his two sons with the management of the estate: Thierry devotes himself to the vineyard and wine-making while Fabrice develops the business in France and abroad. This fourth generation at the helm carries on the family philosophy, made up of tradition mixed with modernity, to prepare passing on wine production to the next generation. Thierry’s daughter, Héloise, born in 1995, also studied viticulture at the Beaune wine school, worked in a winery in Australia and graduated in oenology at the University of Dijon… After Flavie and Simone, the final words of the Amiot women have not yet been spoken!