Château de Gilly

Étape prestige Vougeot




Château de gilly

The Château de Gilly, Father Abbots of Citeaux' former residence located between Dijon and Beaune, short distance away from the famous Clos Vougeot, in the heart of the Grands Crus of Burgundy,
has not lost anything of its 14th and 17th century authenticity, with its moats, its garden à la française and its beautiful vaulted dining room.

A place full of history

Originally a Benedictines Priory under the control of Germain the bishop of Paris, Gilly was sold much later to the neighbouring Cistercians.
In the 16th century, Nicolas Boucherat II, 51st abbot of Cîteaux, decided to turn it into a house of relaxation. Succeeding him in 1625, Pierre de Nivelle continued with taste the embellishment work started. The Château de Gilly owes him its current blazon which belonged to his own coats of arms. However he did not transform the utilitarian rooms such as the kitchen or the storeroom (nowadays lounge and restaurant) which thus kept their Cistercian strictness.

But the French Revolution overturned the course of events and on May 14th 1790, the properties of the Cistercian monks were declared “National goods”. Several owners then succeeded each other, putting up farmers and workers into the old abbatial residence until the department of Côte d’Or buys it to turn it into the ‘Chateau-Theater of Gilly-les-Cîteaux’, unveiled in January 1978 and classed as Historical Monument in May of the same year.

In 1987, René and Simonne Traversac, the founders of the Grandes Etapes Françaises, respectively are 74 and 67 years old when they undertake the huge works of the Château of Gilly that they have just purchased from the Côte-d’Or department. The task is hard to restore and transform into a hotel the buildings that are everything but comfortable and luxurious, and what was almost a wasteland into a garden! No work has ever been so briskly carried out and the place opened in September 1988.

A quality accomodation

The Château de Gilly has 48 rooms ranked into 6 categories, from the most refined suite to the most charming room. They are in the Château or in the two adjoining lodges, the Pavillon du Père Abbé and the Pavillon des Jours. All are elegantly decorated in respect of the place and provide the most modern comfort. They offer very pleasant views on the surrounding landscape.
The Junior suites are composed of a large bedroom and a sitting room with a sofa, armchairs, and a coffee table. The decoration knew to keep and highlight the very character of each room:
superb wood panelling in one, Burgundy stone fireplace in the other, exquisite wall coverings.
In the spacious De Luxe rooms, you will see beautiful exposed beams or old terra cotta floor-tiles... They provide a wonderful view over the French style garden or the village.
The rooms of Superior category, large and warm, are mainly overlooking the garden or the village. Some that are located in the charming Pavillon des Jours open up on the park and the moats.
All located in the wing of the Château built in the 17th century overlooking the garden; the Standard rooms are cosy and can accommodate one or two people, whereas the Traditional rooms are more spacious.

A bucolic charm

Facing the château, the original garden à la française has been reproduced with all the purity of its geometric lines, all around a circular pond and its fountain.
In each end of this noble garden, in the whole length, two long rectangular ponds have been dug by the Cistercian monks. The one, linked to the vivid waters of the river, was used has a natural fishpond, very useful reserve for the monks who often had to eat no meat. The other was, and still is, a bed of reed planted to remind them of the original swamp they had to drain to build the foundations of their house.
Below the wall bordering the Château, you will discover the enchanting view of the Vouge cascading under little bridges and its pastoral banks planted with some beautiful trees. The contrast is pleasing and the walk appealing.
Haven of peace, the swimming pool bathed in sunshine hides behind a hedge in the back of the garden and promises pleasant moments of outdoor relaxation, as well as the tennis court just nearby.

Château de Gilly
Gilly les Cîteaux - 21640 VOUGEOT
Tél. : +33 (0) 3 80 62 89 98
Fax: +33 (0) 3 80 62 82 34

www.chateau-gilly.com

www.grandesetapes.fr

"Le Clos Prieur" restaurant
This beautiful dining room with rib vaults supported by slender pillars was originally the storeroom for Gilly’s Cistercian monks. Here they kept casks and barrels filled with wine from the Clos de Vougeot.

In such a setting full of character, the cuisine had to be savoury and sophisticated, paired with a substantial wine list: not less than 6,000 bottles from 400 appellations are ageing in the cellars of the Château!

How not dream of these great domains, not far away from here, like the domain Romanée-Conti, or the 50 hectares of the Clos Vougeot owned by 80 different owners? In Burgundy, the treasures of the Terroir have to be shared…

Chef Jean-Alain Poitevin

For him, cooking is a true calling. He learnt his skills in Burgundy, at Lameloise in Chagny, which enabled him to appreciate all the richness of the region and uncover the secret of the famous jambon persillé (Burgundy jellied ham with parsley).

He then discovers the great Champagnes when he joins Gérard Boyer’s team at the Crayères in Reims. But he returns with pleasure to Burgundy, firstly at the Château de Chailly as sous-chef, then as Chef during 9 years at the Hôtel de la Poste in Saulieu. He arrives in January 2006 at the Château de Gilly, and in 2010, the gourmet guide Gault Millau awards him a third “Toque” [Chef’s Hat].

Jean-Alain Poitevin gets his ingredients from local producers selected for their quality and particularly works at enhancing certain products such as snails, Foie Gras, Charolais beef.

He gives free rein to his creativity and regularly renews his menu with dishes that first tickle the imagination, then the palate. Some examples? The Duck Foie Gras Terrine larded with home-made Smoked Duck Breast and its Blackcurrant Liqueur Aspic; or Roasted Monkfish and Summer Vegetable Millefeuille, served with a Lime and Coriander Tangy Juice; and for the dessert lovers, the Honey and Apricot Dome and Gingerbread Biscuit with Apricot Sorbet ...

A very special setting

Simplicity and conviviality of a lunch at Le Clos Prieur and on the Terrasse du Potager; authenticity and fineness of a dinner in which gastronomy and oenology mingle for a great moment of pleasure; walk in the garden à la française or pleasant wandering on the banks of the Vouge; music or thematic evenings, snooker, beauty care…

the multi-centenary walls of the Château de Gilly provide all the comfort that can be awaited from such top-of-the-range places.

Exceptional setting, on the way to the Grands Crus, it is a place full of a charm best of its kind, managed by a warm, enthusiast and dynamic executive team, with a staff full of care and infinite kindness.

Invaluable assets that make of a stay at the Château de Gilly a precious moment. Dominique Peyral-Bon