Mâconnais & Côte Chalonnaise Wine
With demand and supply latterly significantly pushing up prices in the Côte d'Or, buyers looking for value for money in Burgundy have been looking 'south' for good reason – there is superb quality to be found at significantly lower prices.
Bruno Colin - most famous for his fine whites from Chassagne-Montrachet - also produces a delicious Rully 1er Cru - our debut listing from the Côte Chalonnaise in 2021. Aromas of quince, lemon and crushed stone are followed by an expansive palate of apricots, tangerine and peach. This highly-versatile wine will work beautifully with dishes from roast chicken to sole meunière or cauliflower cheese.
Taking over his father-in-law's 4.7 hectares of vine holdings in the south of the Mâconnais, Eric Saveret set up Domaine de Roncevaux in 2004. He farms his vines organically and only uses indigenous yeasts to craft characterful white wines with a strong sense of terroir. His Mâcon-Vergisson 'La Roche' has attractive wild flower scents and a whitecurrant and greengage palate underscored by fresh acidity.
The most exciting addition to Eric's range towards the end of 2021 was undoubtedly the arrival of the first vintage of his Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru 'Sur La Roche'. From the 2020 vintage, 22 Mâconnais 'climats' have been permitted to be labelled 'Premier Cru' – a first for the region. It has been a 10-year journey of bureaucracy and wrangling which aims to work collectively to improve quality in the region and it is the first elevation of an area in Burgundy to 1er Cru status since 1943. The 'Sur La Roche' climat sits in the commune of Vergisson and is a small one hectare parcel of older vines (at least 40 years old) on stony limestone soils. It has nutty, orange peel aromas with a rich texture and impressive density on the palate balanced by a fine mineral acidity. Whilst gratifying now, it will improve in bottle for a decade.
Domaine de Fa, the Graillots' (of Northern Rhone fame) estate in Beaujolais, makes their Mâconnais debut with a delicious Saint-Véran showing serious complexity, zippy citrus acidity and a long savoury and mineral finish.
