Mâconnais 2022/2023: Don’t Pass Me By

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 01, 2024

Mâconnais faces the wrong way as a blushing bride’s beauty hidden behind her veil. Its twin focal points, La Roche de Solutré and Roche de Vergisson, erupt out of the Earth’s crust like the craggy wings of a Cadillac but face away from the motorway connecting Lyon and Beaune. Just a 10-minute drive from the turn-off, they are so hidden that they might as well be ten hours away.

The Roche de Vergisson (pictured) and Roche de Solutré lie parallel, each offering a range of terroirs on their slopes.

Partly as a consequence of that orientation, many Burgundy pilgrims pelting up the Côte d’Or, impatient to take that selfie next to Romanée-Conti, are oblivious to one of France’s most picturesque wine regions, a cradle of top-notch Chardonnay that is translating its terroirs with increasing clarity and conviction. Together with its geographic, if not stylistic, ‘twin’ of Beaujolais, winemakers’ positivity and optimism are tangible while being aware of avoiding the pitfalls that have befallen the Côte d’Or in terms of price escalation and all its attendant problems. “I just make wine. That’s what I’m happy doing,” one vigneron told me, smiling. “What more could you want?”

Perhaps a more benevolent season than the tumultuous start in 2024?

As usual, my annual report focuses on the most recent vintages, predominantly 2022, with a small smattering of 2023s.

The Roche de Vergisson and Roche de Solutré (pictured) lie parallel, each offering a range of terroirs on their slopes.

The 2022 and 2023 Growing Seasons

Like the rest of Burgundy, Mâconnais enjoyed relatively high yields in the consecutive seasons of 2022 and 2023. That is rare, given how global warming has weaponized Mother Nature with frost, hail and drought that can decimate harvests at a whim. Seeing cellars crammed full of barrels comes as a relief after the depleted crop in 2021 and given the current travails in 2024. For ease of reference, I reproduce the summary of the growing season from last year’s report.

Nature dealt winemakers a completely different set of playing cards in 2022 compared to the previous year. An unprecedented hot vintage with unseasonably warm temperatures in February and March enticed vines out of winter dormancy. April was cooler at 11.5°C, followed by summer weather in May when the mercury averaged 18.5°C, some 5.4°C warmer than the previous year. Conditions remained balmy with temperatures in June, July and August, 21.5°C, 23.7°C and 23.9°C, respectively. BIVB figures show that during the 12 months of 2022, there were 105 and 48 days when the mercury tipped 25°C and 30°C, respectively, compared to 83 and 40 days in 2020, which was also slightly more than in the Côte d’Or.

As you would expect, drought conditions prevailed throughout almost the entire year, just 13mm in May and 8mm in July – 142mm less than the previous July! The anomalous month of June saw 145mm of rain, perversely much more than the previous year. However, the figures do not tell the entire story since precipitation was concentrated in storms between June 21 and 25, whereas vines really need steady, earth-saturating rain. Sunlight hours were also way above average: 390 hours in July alone, almost double those of 2021, and a further 298 sunlight hours in August. The result is that 2022 was the warmest year since the beginning of the 20th century, not to mention drier than 2020, 2019 and even 2003. As temperatures remained high once picking started, many top estates opted to send out harvesters early in the morning.

Since that enfant terrible, Jean-Marie Guffens was down in the Languedoc, his wingman, Julien Desplans, escorted me through a comprehensive tasting of his wines.

Winter in 2023 commenced with a relatively mild January, with temperatures averaging around 5.1°C. The following weeks were changeable, alternating between spells of freshness and warmth. February was absurdly dry, with just 2mm of rain recorded. Budding was around April 2, similar to 2009 and 2016, a little earlier than usual. April turned out to be colder than normal, averaging 11.1°C, though that is the highest of any region of Burgundy. It wasn’t until the end of the month that conditions improved, with May witnessing average temperatures of 16.4°C. Henceforth, vines seemed to compensate for lost time and grew rapidly with a swift mi-floraison recorded as of June 2 under slightly warmer conditions than average, 22.0°C. This uninterrupted and even flowering foregrounded a large volume of fruit.

Vineyard managers had to remain vigilant. Outbreaks of rain provided ideal conditions for powdery and downy mildew, both constant threats. The Mâconnais was deluged with 130mm in June, almost twice that of the Côte d’Or at 78mm. Bunches closed in early July, four or five days before normal, and the usual uptick in warmth never happened, the mercury nudging just 0.1°C warmer. This was concurrent with the onset of dry conditions, and vines already facing a water deficit were under tremendous stress. Outbreaks of showers towards the end of August offered only minor relief, notwithstanding sporadic localized hail. The result was that some areas of the Mâconnais struggled to fully ripen their fruit as vines closed down to survive.

Most pickers went out on September 11, although a few went out two or three days earlier. Thankfully, the weather was bright and sunny, with temperatures warmer than usual at 20.3°C and cool nights that helped preserve acidity. That month witnessed 264 sunlight hours, far higher than normal, so there was around 15% more sunshine over the growing season. These clement conditions ushered most of the fruit to full maturity.

With regard to vinification, it is best to peruse some of the Producer Profiles as they vary. However, I did notice many discarded the final press since they tend to contain higher potassium and thereby risk decreasing acidity. The best producers use a modest percentage of new oak, slightly more tangible in producers like Château Fuissé, Domaine Ferret and Domaine Barraud. The difference is that nowadays, the level of new wood is proportionate to the fruit concentration. For example, Château Fuissé could be notoriously woody, a style that was in vogue at the time. As Antoine Vincent stated himself, since 2015, a revised approach means that their wines are no longer defined by the barrel but by respective terroirs.

As with most regions in France, clay jars or amphora are increasingly being utilized in Mâconnais. Here’s Gautier Guillemot with some of his.

The Wines

The significant challenge winemakers faced in 2022 was the dry summer in Mâconnais and across much of Europe. Vines shut down to prevent evaporation, and with their growth cycle on standby mode, it perversely meant that in less propitious sites, achieving full ripeness could be difficult to achieve despite heat and sunshine. Berries lost moisture, so winemakers were disappointed to find less juice than expected during pressing. Olivier Merlin had to press 150kg of fruit for each kilo of juice, much higher than normal. As already mentioned, producers had to be careful not to compensate by pressing too hard.

The Mâconnais has three potential advantages that enable it to contend with a warm growing season.

Firstly, there is the variegated orientation of vineyards. Occupying a more undulating and slightly more haphazard landscape than the generally southeast-facing Côte d’Or, it naturally bestows the region with cooler meso-climates with less direct sunlight. Therefore, a vineyard like the north-facing En Buland has a distinct advantage in a hot season like 2022. Ipso facto, authorities deemed north-facing vineyards less favorable and denied them Premier Cru status. See my note with respect to Domaine Barraud, and you’ll be able to glean my opinions about that decision. Even within single vineyards, there can be marked differences. For example, Les Reisses is predominantly east-facing but swings northeast towards Solutré, which may entail multiple pickings. Secondly, many of the finest vineyards, such as those in the higher reaches of Vergisson, for example, tend to be higher in altitude compared to the Côte d’Or. The INAO imposed a maximum height for Premier Cru, so the highest section of Sur La Roche was, again, for many, unjustifiably denied promotion. Thirdly, its more limestone-rich soils can naturally help lend freshness and acidity.

Overall, it is a vintage that has much to offer. Stylistically, there is some semblance to the 2020 vintage, although perhaps not quite with the same consistency. They are mainly rich and ‘sunny’ wines defined by yellow fruit that occasionally veers towards tropical notes. The best wines avoid those traits. The 2022s contain depth and length, bold wines that, at the top level, avoid flabbiness or lack of dimension. Thanks to the factors above (altitude, soil type and orientation) combined with top-level viticulture and vinification, such as maintaining canopy cover or undertaking partial malolactic fermentation (e.g., Domaine J-A- Ferret), a common feature amongst the best growers is countervailing mineralité and acidic spine that upholds freshness and nerve. You end up with the best of both worlds. It might not appeal to those seeking lighter and more “Zen-like” Mâconnais. For that, you might want to carefully seek out the best wines in 2021. However, I do feel that the 2022s will age well…if consumers give them a chance. Many producers now give wines a second winter in barrel, and this has enhanced their depth since tasting some last year. Perhaps they knitted them together, allowing them time to gain harmony. Frequently, it means they’re tempting straight after bottling. They should, by rights, be afforded time to develop.

Who’s that cheeky chap peaking from behind the winery door? It’s Nicolas Maillet, who I visited for the first time in Verzé.

Mâconnais is more than Pouilly-Fuissé of course. Other areas such as Saint-Véran, the various iterations of Mâcon-Villages, Viré-Clessé and so forth, are all areas where you can find rapid improvement in quality. Co-operatives are more dominant in these areas, and of course, where they aim for quantity over quality, they rub their hands at the prospect of a voluminous season. One producer mentioned his neighbor who sells fruit to a co-op, ecstatic that his vines yielded 200hl/ha in 2023! I’ve sung the praises of St.-Véran in earlier reports. For Mâcon Villages, seek out the likes of the 2022 Mâcon-Péronne L'Etoile from Domaine du Mont Épin or 2022 Mâcon-Pierreclos "Juliette et Les Vieilles de Chavigne" from Domaine Guffens-Heynen to see what is possible in the right hands.

With respect to the handful of 2023s tasted, there is insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion, and it’s too early. Most winemakers that I spoke to seemed more drawn to their 2022s than 2023. For example, tasting at Domaine Frantz Chagnalou, I found their 2022s have more complexity and harmony, though the 2023s still have their charms.

The Post-Premier Landscape

The introduction of 22 Premier Crus within the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation has given Mâconnais impetus. (For details, see last year’s report.) A couple of years ago, I described it as an “inflection point.” It is not an obvious or even immediate one… Sur La Roche is not suddenly competing against Montrachet as France’s greatest dry white. Though it has inevitably resulted in price increases, they are thankfully modest vis-à-vis the Côte d’Or, so that even Pouilly-Fuissé’s most coveted cuvées continue to represent great value. The most conspicuous change is in terms of labelling insofar that some lieux-dits vanished or subsumed/amalgamated into a different name. For example, Vers Pouilly is now Les Reisses. The viticulture has not changed, and under INAO rules, growers can still machine harvest, but not many do.

What it does give is rubber-stamped recognition. It’s official. It’s one thing to say your wine is worthy of a Premier Cru and another to actually be one. That means something to consumers. Aficionados armed with greater knowledge are more influenced by growers, but there are plenty of others for whom Premier Cru written on the label confers status and governs their buying decision.

Naturally, there are misgivings about INAO stipulations. One nameless producer described a decision that denied their feted cuvée Premier Cru status as “incomprehensible prejudice”. Compromises had to be made to appease a majority and overcome bureaucratic hurdles. Nevertheless, most agree that it was sufficiently strict to lend Premier Cru status meaningful kudos. While some might be tempted to rest on their laurels and trade on their upgraded status, riding on coattails, in my experience, this hard-won promotion helps to maintain standards, even if no appellation rules have ever guaranteed quality…even in Montrachet.

I cannot recall what Frédéric Burrier at Château de Beauregard was explaining here.

Pouilly-Vinzelles & Pouilly-Loché

Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché are hot on the heels of Pouilly-Fuissé, which has recently obtained 22 Premier Cru’s status. This pair is further down the line, unlike several other appellations, so the inaugural Premier Crus are anticipated with the 2024 vintage. I suspect their promotion will attract fewer headlines. While these two appellations are smaller, spanning 52 and 32 hectares, respectively, compared to the 758 of Pouilly-Fuissé. Moreover, they are less well-known. Nonetheless, promotion should reinforce the idea that Mâconnais possesses terroir that merits recognition beyond Pouilly-Fuissé. In other words, it is not a one-trick pony.

According to Jean-Philippe Bret of Domaine de la Soufrandière/Bret Bros, the specific areas up for upgrade within Pouilly-Vinzelles include around 13 hectares of Les Quarts, almost the entirety, plus around 7 hectares of Les Longeays and 3 hectares of Les Pétaux. Apropos Pouilly-Loché, 7 hectares in Les Mûres, is being considered for promotion. “Like the Pouilly-Fuissé Premiers Crus, herbicides will be forbidden,” Bret tells me. “That is very good for everybody: producers, consumers and the planet! The INAO considers Premiers Crus amongst the best and, like most of the best wines in the world, so they must be hand-picked. I would say that more than 50-60% of the surface of the Pouilly-Vinzelles or Pouilly-Loché (Les Quarts, Les Longeays, Les Pétaux) produced in 2023 are already being picked by hand. To allow anybody to convert to manual harvesting, the INAO will grant derogations to permit machine harvesting for four more years.”

It is always important to have co-operatives on the side. They often have different tenets to artisan producers with an eye on maintaining entry-level price points that preclude expensive practices. However, Bret tells me that within Pouilly-Vinzelles and Loché, they represent around 20% of the surface area up for promotion. Of course, it allows the co-operatives to charge more than current prices and gain kudos.

I asked Bret if he sees stylistic differences between Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché. “I would say that Pouilly-Vinzelles is maybe more elegant than the Pouilly-Fuissé from Chaintré, more citrus style, especially in Les Quarts.”

I also wanted to know if he had seen any changes in perception after their own Pouilly-Fuissé Au Vignerais was granted Premier Cru status in 2020.

“Yes, this is really like a spotlight for our appellations. It will probably take time to communicate about them [to consumers]. Even if few contest it nowadays, these Premiers Crus confirm Mâconnais’ status in Burgundy. Everyone benefits from that. The real deal is to make amazing wines with honest and affordable prices. To me, wine is made to be shared and appreciated. Mâconnais and the Pouilly-Vinzelles are some fantastic alternatives to more expensive Burgundian [i.e., Côte d’Or] wines and must continue this way.”

Certainly, tasting the Pouilly-Vinzelles from Bret’s Domaine de la Soufrandière and Domaine de la Croix Senaillet, the wines are already worthy of promotion and have been for several years.

Jean-Philippe Bret is the co-owner of Domaine de la Soufrandière and is leading the charge towards promotion for Pouilly-Vinzelles.

Why Visit Mâconnais?

Fully aware that I sound like a broken record, Mâconnais is delightful to visit. As I mentioned in my introduction, the Roche de Solutré and Vergisson are so mesmerizing that I sometimes find it difficult to keep my eyes on the road. This rare geological phenomenon, formed from a coral plateau 160 million years ago in the 1980s, attracted Président Mitterrand when he wanted to escape politics, perhaps to admire the view or search for fossils. As soon as the rocky summit reaches the topsoil, you will find some of Pouilly-Fuissé’s finest climats. Villages in the Mâconnais can verge on the soporific like many in France. That said, Fuissé boasts a fantastic lively bistro, L’O des Vignes and Table de Chaintré in the namesake village, which could show a thing or two to some of the more self-aggrandizing restaurants in the Côte d’Or. Mâconnais holds on to unblemished tranquillity that others have let slip, country lanes mostly uncluttered. An added bonus is that wineries don’t chase away visitors with a large broom.

In Gallo-Roman times, the town of Mâcon was known as Matisco, a trading center for grapes inter alia. Its Roman origins can still be seen in its architecture and streets, with preserved ruins unexpectedly cropping up here and there. Look out for the Maison de Bois, built between 1490 and 1510, one of only five houses constructed entirely from wood, like something out of a Grimm fairy tale. Mâcon is also the birthplace of 18th-century romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine, who lends his name to one of its climats. When I first visited, Mâcon seemed a bit shabby and in need of sprucing up. It retains some of that ‘unkempt’ ambiance, but the upsurge in its wines is concurrent with a burgeoning fine dining scene. Mâcon might lack Beaune’s historical pulchritude. Nevertheless, it has become livelier in recent years, notwithstanding that the Saône is a lovely river to promenade. For the record, I have not been paid any money by Mâcon’s tourism board!

Final Thoughts

One can gauge a sense of forward momentum across Mâconnais, driven by a new generation of winemakers in tandem with a realization that their terroirs can be the foundation of Chardonnay that can compete with the Côte d’Or. Great Chardonnay does not end at the southern limit of Chassagne-Montrachet. With two abundant crops, there is plenty of wine for people to enjoy, much less of the lunacy surrounding the chasing of the Côte d’Or’s most esteemed labels. Its wines easily compete with the better Premier Crus in the Côte Chalonnais and Côte de Beaune. Perhaps what it does not offer are the truly profound experiences that you can find in the Côte d’Or, but few wine regions do. The 2022 vintage has plenty to offer wine lovers. Don’t pass them by.

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