Winemaking doesn’t have to be a family tradition.

“We don’t come from a family of winemakers: we are writing the very first chapters of our own winemaking story right now, the story of the first generation of Angst winemakers.”

Antoine has always dreamt of becoming a winemaker. He studied agriculture and holds a degree in winemaking, and his expertise in vineyard management is second to none. He was a technical vineyard sales consultant in Chablis for 16 years.

But his real winemaking adventure began in 2009. It was then that he began vinifying his own Burgundy wines. A few years later, in 2013, Antoine and his wife Céline took an opportunity to buy a farm in the village of Courgis, surrounded by Chablis vineyards from which they bought and rented parcels to form their own estate. 

The estate’s parcels are spread over several villages in the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois vineyards, but are found mainly in Chablis and Courgis. Vignoble Angst produces Burgundy’s two key grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Antoine and Céline tend to their vines with the greatest care: tillage, partial grassing, etc. and limit the use of treatments to the bare minimum. 

“We are always trying to ensure that our wines are the most accurate expression of our vineyards and Burgundy terroir. This careful approach to viticulture was a natural decision.”

The estate is located 15 km from Chablis, in the village of Pontigny, which is famous for its abbey. The Abbaye de Pontigny is the largest Cistercian building from the Middle Ages that is still intact today. The history of this exceptional monument is intertwined with the history of wine in the region, with Cistercian monks contributing greatly to the development of the vineyard. Céline and Antoine Angst give their visitors the opportunity to discover a little local culture as well as their wines, offering visits to the abbey (with a tour guide) followed by a tasting of their wines.

Find out more about “Chablis and its origins” visits