Le Mâconnais The wine region around Mâcon has an area of 5600 hectare. It is the southern wine region of Burgundy. It produces 4 cépages: • Pinot Noir and Gamay for red wines • Chardonnay and Aligoté for white wines This is a winegrowing region with two faces. To the southwest of Tournus, the Monts du Mâconnais are a succession of wooded hills and little valleys, ideal for vine cultivation. Further to the south, the hills give the way to a grandiose landscape that is dominated by some monumental outcrops, including those of Vergisson and Solutré. The vines can be found on the slopes where soil and sunshine permit. This wine region produces: Bourgogne, Côteaux Bourguignons, Bourgogne aligoté, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, Bourgogne Mousseux and Crémant de Bourgogne There are no 1er Crus in Mâcon wine region due to the WWII. German soldiers had no right to take 1er Crus and Grands Crus bottles in the cellars. Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, being in “zone occuppée”, wine producers asked that some vines be recognized as 1er Crus in 1943. Mâcon was on “zone libre” and producers at that time didn’t see the necessity to have 1er Crus unlike the Northern part of Burgundy. Today, some appellations of Mâconnais want to fix this unfairness. In 2010, 4 AOC asked to be 1er Crus at the INAO (Institut National d’Origine et de la Qualité): Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Vinzelles, Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Fuissé. This application should take at least 10 years. History The oldest mention of the Mâconnais vineyard is from 312 in a text wrote by Eumène. He described the Burgundy wine region in a speech. In the Mâconnais, perhaps more than in any of the Bourgogne region’s other winegrowing areas, the monks played a key role. The abbey of Cluny, founded in 909 by William I, Count of Mâcon, followed the Benedictine tradition with the principle of ora et labora (pray and labor), which drove the monks to create their own vineyards. It was, in part, in reaction to the wealth of Cluny that Robert de Moslesme founded the abbey of Cîteaux in 1098. Although the vines of Cluny were mainly located in the southern part of the current Bourgogne winegrowing region, the monks also owned vines planted further north, notably the famous vineyard of Romanée-St-Vivant. Later, in 1412, French King, Charles VI defined the boundaries, from Sens to Mâcon, for the production of burgundy wine. Until the 18th century, the main cépage in the Mâconnais was the Gamay. Yet since the early 19th century, the Gamay was replaced with Chardonnay at 80%. Regional appellations The Mâconnais produces three regionals appellations: Mâcon, Mâcon-Village and Mâcon + the name of the village. Mâcon – Mâcon + name of the village The AOC Mâcon goes over 91 villages from Saône et Loire. And has an area of 1907 hectare. The AOC Mâcon was created in 1937. Appellation This AOC includes 2 types of appellations: Mâcon appellation (78 hectares) and Mâcon + name of the village (1829 hectares). 27 villages can be associated to the Mâcon + name of the village AOC. The appellation produces red, white and rosé wines. In order to be a part of the AOC, the wine has to respond to different criteria such as the geographical area, the soil the work in the vineyard and finally the vinification. Terroir There are three types of soil in the Mâconnais: • Limestone, marl-limestone soil for the Chardonnay. The finest quality is found in the south, in the Pouilly-Saint Véran area. • Clay or clay-siliceous soil: acidic soils that produce white wines for young drinking and pleasant Mâcon reds from Gamay. These soils are often referred to as “Belouze”. • Silica soil or granite or volcanic subsoil at the south of the region. This type of soil let the Gamay express itself. Altitude: 200 to 300 meters. Wine The Mâconnais white wines are the color of white or yellow gold or straw-colored with gently glowing silvery or greenish highlights. To the nose, their aromas suggest broom, white roses, acacia, honeysuckle, fern, verbena, lemon-grass, and citrus fruits (grapefruit, mandarin oranges). In the mouth, the finish adds nuances of pine, quince and fennel. The impression on the palate varies according to each village and each terroir of origin. These wines are fresh and luscious as well as dry and well-fruited. They have good concentration backed by sufficient acidity to ensure their keeping qualities. They are full and smooth in character. In colour the Mâconnais red wines range from cherry to dark ruby via deep garnet. The purplish highlights are typical of the Gamay grape. Aromatically, they develop accents of small red and black fruits (gooseberry, bilberry) blended with notes of underbrush, mushroom, fruit-pit and animal. As they age, they evolve towards prune and pepper. They are rich, vital, hearty, fleshy, spontaneous, joyous, and easy to drink. While still young they may be a little stiff, but they will soften and become suppler with time. Both the wines structure and texture are excellent. Mâcon Village This appellation Mâcon Village has an area of production of 1843 hectares. It produces only white wines. It is an régionale appellation. The word “Village” or the name of the commune of origin may only be added to the word Mâcon for wines harvested within the defined area of the appellation Mâcon Village consisting of 26 named communes and grouped together. Producing communes: Azé, Bray, Burgy, Bussières, Chaintré, Chardonnay, Charnay-lès- Mâcon, Cruzille, Davayé, Fuissé, Igé, Loché, Lugny, Mancey, Milly-Lamartine, Montbellet, Péronne, Pierreclos, Prissé, La Roche-Vineuse, Saint-Gengoux-le-National, Solutré-Pouilly, Uchizy, Vergisson, Verzé, Vinzelles. Village appellations Mâcon wine region has five different village appellations: Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, Pouilly- Vinzelles, Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Fuissé. Viré-Clessé The appellation produces only Chardonnay over 406 hectares. Wine The wines produced on the appellation are pale but brilliant gold somewhere between white-gold and yellow, with in some cases greenish highlights. The nose makes an immediate and pleasant impression with a bouquet of flowers or acacia, springtime honeysuckle, and broom, together with notes of lemon balm, white peach, verbena, and mint or bracken. As the wine ages, quince jam and pine make their appearance. Lively and fresh, with a slight edge and yet well-rounded, this wine is a reliable introduction to the Mâconnais whites. It is delicate and has a tender and spontaneous side with a touch of nervosity. Appellation There are 4 villages of production: Clessé, Laizé, Monbellet et Viré. The appellation was recognized in 1998 by a decree and was launched a year after. Before 1998, there were two appellations « Mâcon-Clessé » and « Mâcon-Viré » but due to their similarities, it was replaced with the Viré-Clessé appellation. Terroir The appellation consists of two hill-slopes running North-South between the valleys of the Bourbonne and the Mouge. The rocks are fossiliferous Bajocien limestones and Jurassic (Oxfordian) strata of marly-limestone. Other soils at the foot of the slopes are clays containing sandstone pebbles known as «chailles». They are well-drained and East-facing. Also found here are soils containing white limestone stones typical of the Mâconnais and known as « cray «. It is the best soil for the Chardonnay grape. Altitudes: 200-440 meters. Some climats La Montagne, la Bussière, En Collonge, Quintaine, Viré… On the label, the climat can be mentioned below the name Viré-Clessé. The label an also include the mention Vin de Mâcon or Grands Vin de Mâcon. Saint Véran This is the second most important Mâconnais appellation for white Chardonnay. The appellation produces only white wine made from Chardonnay over 723 hectares. Wine This appellation produces very pale-yellow gold, brilliant and crystal-clear. The nose develops subtle fruit aromas (peach, pear) or acacia, honeysuckle and bracken, often over notes of fresh almond, hazelnut, cinnamon, butter, and sometimes honey. Exotic fruits are sometimes present, as are citrus notes (orange peel). On the palate, this white wine is dry and well-rounded, mineral (gun-flint) and lively from the first attack. Acidity and fatness come increasingly into play. The structure is harmonious, fresh and round. Appellation 7 villages of production: Chânes, Chasselas, Davayé, Leynes, Prissé, Saint-Vérand et Solutré- Pouilly. This appellation is produced in the south of the Mâconnais. In 1947, the Amicale des Producteurs de Vins Blancs was created. It gathered producers from different villages: Saint-Vérand, Chânes, Chasselas, Leynes and Saint Amour. This association had the goal to get the official recognition as an AOC. 3 men were important Louis DAILLY, Georges CHAGNY et Louis ORIZET for the recognition of the appellation. Later, other villages joined the Amicale such as Davayé in 1953 and Prissé in 1969. In 1971, the appellation was created. In 2010, the producers filled an application to get recognized as 1er Cru. Terroir The appellation is split into two islands. Both occupy slopes forming part of the chain of hills to which the Rock of Solutré belongs. This rocky backbone is made of fossiliferous limestone of the Middle Jurassic. On the Western side are older rocks covered with grey marls on which the vineyards of Chasselas and Leynes occupy South and West-facing sites. The gentle Eastern slopes are composed of marly limestones on which are found the East-facing vineyards of Prissé and Davayé. At Chânes and Prissé, on the left bank of the little river Grosne, the vines grow on fossiliferous limestones, often overlain by a layer of clay-with- flints with “chailles”. Some climats Le Clos, Au Château, les Peiguins, Au Bourg, A la Croix, Aux Buland et Vers le Mont..