Château Jouvente: The Gutmann Family's Adventure

Benjamin Gutmann is the manager of Château Jouvente in the Graves appellation in the Bordeaux region. This wonderful family adventure began in June 2016, bringing him into the world of vineyards and wine.

A favorite: Château Jouvente

It’s a family story that began with a sudden passion and the fulfillment of David’s dream—David, the father, is a great wine lover.

“It was love at first sight. We went to the Bordeaux region and visited Château Jouvente. We found a vineyard of exceptional quality with a beautifully renovated production facility,” recalls Benjamin. Together with his father and two older brothers, they purchased Château Jouvente in June 2016.

Unusually, the Gutmann family was not involved in the wine industry at the time. Their love for the product and the desire to build a family business led them into it. For Benjamin, this project was an opportunity to discover a new profession and an industry that turned out to be fascinating. He tells us: “Nothing predestined me for wine, but this project excited me from the very beginning. Besides, I was also keen to work with my father as a way of carrying on the family legacy.” For Benjamin, this purchase holds deep symbolic meaning: “For our family, developing a vineyard is about putting down roots and passing on a legacy. For us, wine is a noble product that we associate with pleasure and life: “In fact, on the day of our first harvest, I had my first child. It’s deeply symbolic,” the winemaker emphasizes.

Father and son together in the vineyards. Is a new generation on the horizon?

“We want to promote these products as a continuation of the work we’ve already done.”

“We’re building on and building upon what’s already been done,” explains Benjamin. At Château Jouvente, the products are excellent and of high quality thanks to the work of Olivier, the production manager who has been with the company for 20 years. David and Benjamin are well aware of this and are committed to showcasing them. “Promoting our products means sharing our story. That’s why we organize free tours of the estate.”

There’s no shortage of ideas—a new label, a new logo… but also training and an essential learning phase. “I’m currently training. I’m studying at the University of Bordeaux at the ISVV (Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences). These are tools that will allow me to have an in-depth dialogue with Olivier,” says the winemaker.

Staying true to tradition doesn’t stand in the way of growth, as Benjamin pragmatically points out: “With Olivier, our winemaker, we’re staying true to tradition. We’re also working with the same farmhand. But the team has also grown stronger with the arrival of Nathalie, who used to work at the Graves wine association. She knows the appellation and the terroir very well.”

“My job is to make the vineyard thrive and showcase the wines,” Benjamin concludes.

Château Jouvente: “A harmony between generations”

At Château Jouvente, several generations live, work, and share their lives together. This is a source of great joy for Benjamin, who tells us enthusiastically: “There’s a sense of complementarity between the generations. I’m 30 years old and I work with people who are all older than me. I’m proud of the chemistry and the synergy I have with these people. We complement each other, and it’s incredibly enriching.”

“I bring my youth to the table. My father adds a more traditional touch. Olivier provides the technical expertise and makes an excellent wine.” Indeed, that’s the very definition of a symbiosis.

Our "Coup de Coeur" selections from Domaine Jouvente:

• Château Jouvente-Rouge 2008
• Château Jouvente-Rouge 2012

“These are classic, refined wines.”

The wines of Château Jouvente are undoubtedly highly regarded by consumers and wine enthusiasts alike. Proof of this: Château Jouvente’s 2015 White won a gold medal at the Concours Général de Paris. Château Jouvente’s 2014 Red and 2015 White were winners of the Trophée des Grands Crus des Graves.

“We make wines that are characteristic of their terroirs and easily recognizable. That’s important to me: in this way, I’m doing my part to help revitalize Bordeaux’s image.”

Mission accomplished! The wines of Château Jouvente are refined, elegant, and delicate, with structure and character. Benjamin describes them with passion: “For the white, we’re working with just 2 hectares—it’s quite exclusive. It’s our little gem. It has incredible aromatic richness, featuring notes of exotic fruits and citrus, with very well-integrated oak and hints of coconut.”

As for the red, it is just as high-quality: “An elegant wine with character. A refined tannic structure and well-integrated tannins. It has a very pleasant elegance,” describes the winemaker.

Achieving this result requires hard work, experience, and above all, a great deal of passion, enthusiasm, and confidence. This is a combination that is certainly not lacking at Château Jouvente, where every detail counts—from the vineyard plot to the barrel, and everything in between.

"For our red wine, which comes from vineyards covering less than 7 hectares, we harvest late, but we don’t aim for overripeness. We want a good concentration of sugar and a wine profile focused on ripe fruit. Fermentation takes place in tanks before 12 months of barrel aging. For us, the barrel must be well integrated into the wine. We try to balance fruity and smoky aromas to find the perfect harmony.”

Two promising new products will be added to the lineup in April 2017: an easy-drinking red, La Source de Château Jouvente 2015, and a rosé, La Fontaine de Jouvente 2016—both priced under 10 euros.

The vineyards of Château Jouvente: expanding biological control

The quality of the wines is a process that begins in the vineyard, and Château Jouvente understands this well. “We practice sustainable viticulture,” says Benjamin. “We’re gradually transitioning to organic farming, which means we’re building up the vines’ resistance to pests and diseases.”

With a view to obtaining certification for the estate in the near future: “We are seeking HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. Our approach to pest control is based on observation and prevention.”