In a favorite land for viticulture, the Cistercian monks of the nearby Abbey of Quincy, built in 1133, took advantage of a donation by Pierre de Courtenay to establish their residence there in 1212, and the place was later christened in the 13th century as " Le Petit Quincy ", later as" The abbey of Petit Quincy "and finally as" The castle of Épineuil ", in 1568 the knight of Andelot, a nearby Huguenot, ordered the mass to iron and fire of the Abbey of Quincy; the abbey miraculously survived.
In 1791, following the French revolution, the Abbey was sold as a national asset and the buildings were turned into a stone quarry, the exploitation of the Abbey continued until the end of 1800, when the advent of phylloxera temporarily interrupts the cultivation of the vine.
In 1990 the Gruhier family began the restoration of this magnificent property that had been renovated in the 18th century, a work that will last for the next 20 years.
In 2010 the Domaine began the process of conversion to organic farming and in 2012 the 800th anniversary of the estate was celebrated.
Now the Domaine covers 28 hectares of property and produces Bourgogne Epineuil and Bourgogne Tonnerre but also and above all large Chablis.
Given the results of the conversion to biological practice, a complete rebirth of the estate began, which now produces an extraordinary range of wines with the almost forgotten red denomination "Epineuil".
The wines are in classic style and with the change of philosophy (and climate!) Have found new depth and perspective. This is one of the largest red wine estates in the northernmost denominations of Burgundy.
Epineuil is a small town of only 100 hectares in total. It is located in the Tonnerrois region, in northern France, making it a very cool wine region.
The famous Kimmeridian calcareous soils, like that of Chablis, combined with a unique microclimate, favor excellent growth conditions for Pinot Nero, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.
This microclimate is due to the Langres plateau that protects the vineyards of Epineuil from extremely cold winds that otherwise would create unfavorable conditions for Pinot Noir. The very few but exceptional wine producers of Epineuil give life to world-class red wines.
