A Burgundian in the Jura
In Montigny-lès-Arsures, where the Jura's grey marls meet Burgundian precision. Guillaume d'Angerville and François Duvivier founded this estate in 2012 after a transformative blind tasting at Le Taillevent. Fifteen hectares of biodynamic vines produce non-oxidative Savagnin, the Trois Cépages blend, and single-vineyard expressions of this forgotten terroir.
The Taillevent Epiphany
The story began in 2007 at Le Taillevent in Paris, the two-Michelin-star restaurant where Guillaume d'Angerville, Marquis and proprietor of Domaine Marquis d'Angerville in Volnay, dined with his wife Pauline. As was his custom when traveling outside Burgundy, he asked the sommelier to serve him something blind — anywhere but Burgundy. The wine arrived, and Guillaume immediately called the sommelier back. "You forgot the rule," he said. "This is clearly a Burgundy Chardonnay. It must be from Meursault."
But it wasn't. The wine was Stéphane Tissot's Arbois Les Bruyères Chardonnay 2005 — from the Jura, a region Guillaume had visited with his family but never associated with such winemaking quality. The quality astonished him. Within months, he and his estate manager François Duvivier were exploring the Jura with geologist Yves Herody, searching for terroirs that could deliver such precision. After five years of searching and multiple rejections by the exacting geologist, they found two sites in 2012: Château de Chavanes and the legendary Grand Curoulet.
"I tasted this bottle blind in a restaurant in Paris... I always tell the sommelier to give me something blind and the only rule is that it has to be outside Burgundy. When he brought me this wine, I said, 'You forgot the rule, you brought me a wine from Burgundy.' And he said, 'I am afraid you're wrong.'"
— Guillaume d'Angerville
Grey Marls & Jurassic Soils
The estate comprises 15 hectares across three historic acquisitions. The first, Château de Chavanes in Montigny-lès-Arsures, came with nearly 5 hectares of biodynamically managed vines impeccably replanted by François de Chavanes a decade prior. Then, almost immediately, they secured the Grand Curoulet — nearly 5 hectares of one of Arbois's most reputed terroirs, historically believed to be where the first vines of Arbois were planted. In 2014, they added 5 hectares from Jacques Puffeney — "the Pope of Arbois" — including the legendary Béranger parcel.
The geology here is complex: grey and black marls from the Lias, clay-rich marls from the Trias, Bajocian limestone with fossilized gryphées (ancient oysters), and rocky "éboulis" scree from the plateau above. All 15 hectares are within 2 kilometers of each other, allowing the team to farm biodynamically with the necessary precision — certified since 2015. The result is wines of striking minerality and acidity, distinctly Jurassien yet with the elegance of Guillaume's Volnay heritage.
North-facing, windy, historic. Dominates Arbois from the hillside, ripening later than other parcels. Grey marl soils rich in "terre de gryphées" — fossilized oyster limestone. Planted to both Savagnin and Chardonnay, producing wines of extraordinary tension and saline length.
South-facing, sheltered in an amphitheater of hills. The warmest site, with white Jurassic marl so rich in limestone it appears white. Early maturation brings volume and complexity. This is where Chardonnay achieves full ripeness while maintaining the characteristic Jura acidity.
Ouillé, Not Oxidative
When Guillaume describes his wines as "made in a Burgundian way," he means one thing specifically: they are non-oxidative. Unlike the traditional Jura approach where Savagnin ages under flor (voile), the Pélican team tops up their barrels (ouillage) to prevent oxidation. This produces "Savagnin Ouillé" — pure terroir expression without the veil of yeast, emphasizing the minerality, acidity, and fruit of these Jurassic soils.
Yet this is no mere Burgundy outpost. François Duvivier, who runs the estate day-to-day after a decade as régisseur at Marquis d'Angerville, works with native Jura varieties — Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau — alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Gravity-fed winemaking, pneumatic pressing, minimal new oak (only 5-10% for Chardonnay), and élevage in 500L barrels and foudres. The result is wines that bridge two worlds: the precision and tension of Burgundy, the wild alpine character of the Jura.
Sic his quos diligo
The pelican is the emblem of Arbois, appearing on the town crest since the 15th century when Maximilien de Habsburg's pet pelican died here. Legend says the bird symbolizes Christ — piercing its own breast to feed its young. The domaine's motto echoes this: "Thus I do for those I love." A Burgundian's love letter to the Jura.
The Domaine du Pélican Range
All wines are hand-harvested from biodynamic vineyards, fermented with native yeasts, and aged with minimal sulfur. The range spans ouillé whites, the signature Trois Cépages red blend, and single-vineyard expressions that reveal the granularity of Arbois terroir. Production remains small — the estate bottles approximately 60,000 bottles across ten different cuvées.