Mâconnais & Côte Chalonnaise

Mâcon: easy, fruity Chardonnay, Burgundy's everyday white.

Yellow apple, melon and peach fruit, usually made in steel and softened on its lees. Add a village name (Lugny, Cruzille, Milly-Lamartine) for a step up. Drink it young, within a couple of years.

Yellow apple, melon and peach fruit, usually made in steel and softened on its lees. Add a village name (Lugny, Cruzille, Milly-Lamartine) for a step up. Drink it young, within a couple of years.

Mercurey: the Chalonnaise's biggest and best-known red village.

Roughly nine tenths Pinot Noir, with some Chardonnay. The reds are cherry-fruited with a stony firmness and want a few years; top Premier Crus such as Clos des Myglands and Champs Martin age well, at a fraction of Côte d'Or prices.

Roughly nine tenths Pinot Noir, with some Chardonnay. The reds are cherry-fruited with a stony firmness and want a few years; top Premier Crus such as Clos des Myglands and Champs Martin age well, at a fraction of Côte d'Or prices.

Staple: a village-named Mâcon from a good co-op or grower.

Mâcon-Lugny or Mâcon-Cruzille gives the true southern-Burgundy white without the Côte d'Or bill. Cave de Lugny is the dependable co-op choice.

Mâcon-Lugny or Mâcon-Cruzille gives the true southern-Burgundy white without the Côte d'Or bill. Cave de Lugny is the dependable co-op choice.

Pouilly-Fuissé: the Mâconnais' richest white - peach, hazelnut, flint.

Chardonnay from four villages around the rocks of Solutré and Vergisson: Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson and Chaintré. Full, creamy and often lightly oaked, with a smoky stone edge that can be mistaken for Chablis. Premier Cru sites exist on the best slopes.

Chardonnay from four villages around the rocks of Solutré and Vergisson: Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson and Chaintré. Full, creamy and often lightly oaked, with a smoky stone edge that can be mistaken for Chablis. Premier Cru sites exist on the best slopes.

Aligoté: lemony and saline - and a serious white around Bouzeron.

Bouzeron is the only village appellation for Aligoté, with an old golden strain called Aligoté doré. On high white-marl slopes it gives taut, mouth-watering wines that suit goat's cheese and lightly spiced food.

Bouzeron is the only village appellation for Aligoté, with an old golden strain called Aligoté doré. On high white-marl slopes it gives taut, mouth-watering wines that suit goat's cheese and lightly spiced food.

Local find: a natural Mâcon-Cruzille from Vignes du Maynes.

Biodynamic, no-sulphur Chardonnay or semi-carbonic Gamay from a Mâcon village almost nobody visits. Buy two and compare them.

Biodynamic, no-sulphur Chardonnay or semi-carbonic Gamay from a Mâcon village almost nobody visits. Buy two and compare them.

The Chalonnaise ladder stops at Premier Cru: there is no Grand Cru.

Labels run Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise, then a village name, then the village plus 1er Cru and a vineyard. With no Grand Cru above, a good Chalonnaise Premier Cru is a serious bottle without prestige pricing.

Labels run Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise, then a village name, then the village plus 1er Cru and a vineyard. With no Grand Cru above, a good Chalonnaise Premier Cru is a serious bottle without prestige pricing.

Montagny: white-only Chalonnaise, fresh and stony, mostly co-op made.

Chardonnay only, raised mainly in steel or concrete for freshness, in a taut, stony style. The Buxy co-operative makes most of it; a few growers such as Aladame make livelier, Côte de Beaune-style bottles.

Chardonnay only, raised mainly in steel or concrete for freshness, in a taut, stony style. The Buxy co-operative makes most of it; a few growers such as Aladame make livelier, Côte de Beaune-style bottles.

Cave de Lugny: the big co-op for dependable Mâcon-Lugny and Crémant.

A grower-owned co-operative founded in 1927 and among Burgundy's largest producers. Its house style is dry, oak-free, fruit-led Mâcon, plus a large Crémant de Bourgogne range.

A grower-owned co-operative founded in 1927 and among Burgundy's largest producers. Its house style is dry, oak-free, fruit-led Mâcon, plus a large Crémant de Bourgogne range.

Celebration: a Premier Cru Mercurey or Givry, or Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos.

The local high end. Clos des Myglands (Faiveley), Joblot's Clos du Cellier aux Moines and Château de Fuissé's Le Clos are all age-worthy and a fraction of Côte d'Or prices.

The local high end. Clos des Myglands (Faiveley), Joblot's Clos du Cellier aux Moines and Château de Fuissé's Le Clos are all age-worthy and a fraction of Côte d'Or prices.

Pouilly-Fuissé and Chalonnaise Premier Crus use barrel for texture.

Top Rully, Mercurey and Pouilly-Fuissé whites are fermented and aged in barrel, usually only partly new. The oak adds cream and hazelnut without hiding the fruit.

Top Rully, Mercurey and Pouilly-Fuissé whites are fermented and aged in barrel, usually only partly new. The oak adds cream and hazelnut without hiding the fruit.

Biodynamic farming and wild yeast mark the Mâconnais' new wave.

Vignes du Maynes, La Soufrandière and Bongran farm organically or biodynamically and ferment with native yeast. Expect more texture, a savoury edge and slow, detailed wines.

Vignes du Maynes, La Soufrandière and Bongran farm organically or biodynamically and ferment with native yeast. Expect more texture, a savoury edge and slow, detailed wines.

Semi-carbonic maceration makes a juicier Mâcon rouge.

Whole bunches ferment partly inside the berries, giving bright, low-tannin fruit. A natural-wine favourite for Gamay, used by Vignes du Maynes.

Whole bunches ferment partly inside the berries, giving bright, low-tannin fruit. A natural-wine favourite for Gamay, used by Vignes du Maynes.

Bongran: Thévenet family, organic, late-picked and slow-fermented Viré-Clessé.

Jean Thévenet's estate in the hamlet of Quintaine makes unusually deep, dry-leaning Chardonnay without any oak, and sometimes off-dry and sweet cuvées.

Jean Thévenet took over from his father Emile in 1972, and his son Gautier joined in 1996 and has run operations since 2000. The estate sits in the hamlet of Quintaine in Clesse, on clay and white marl, and is certified organic. Yields are well below the appellation's norm. Tradition is the main bottling, from late-picked, clean Chardonnay; Cuvée E.J. Thévenet comes from selected parcels and is more concentrated and drier in style. Levroute is off-dry and the Botrytis cuvée fully sweet, made only in the right years. Everything is fermented and aged in steel with wild yeast, and wines are held about four years before release. The younger label, Roally, is released earlier and costs less. Tradition is the best place to start, then try the E.J. Thévenet beside it to see what selection adds.

Joblot: reference Givry; Clos du Cellier aux Moines is bold, black-fruited.

A well-regarded Givry estate whose Premier Cru reds are juicy and structured. Rated good value for years.

Joblot is the name most often quoted when people talk about Givry. Its Clos du Cellier aux Moines is one of the village's original Premier Crus and faces due south, on clay that gives a broader, darker-fruited wine than its neighbours. A recent review calls the 2024 bolder than the same estate's Servoisine, with loads of black fruit, juicy succulence and fine structure, and says it will benefit from several years of cellaring. The managing director, Hélène Sarkis, attributes the extra breadth to the clay. The estate also makes the lighter, more perfumed Servoisine and village wines, which are the cheaper way in. A Joblot Premier Cru is a good example of the Chalonnaise argument: serious, age-worthy Pinot Noir for the price of a Côte de Beaune village. Serve with duck, game or aged Époisses.

In the Chalonnaise, vineyard soil and aspect decide the style of each village.

Givry's iron-rich Clos Jus makes dense reds; chalky Mercurey slopes give long, precise whites; the high marl above Bouzeron gives taut Aligoté.

The Côte Chalonnaise is a narrow strip of low hills with little uniformity, so single sites matter. In Givry, Clos Jus at Dracy-le-Fort has iron-rich red soil and makes dense, full-bodied reds, while the steep, walled, chalky Clos Salomon gives cherry-scented ones and the south-facing, clay-heavy Clos du Cellier aux Moines is bolder. In Mercurey, Les Croichots, the westernmost plot, yields long, precise whites with a chalky texture, and Champs Martin makes fuller wines for the cellar. Above Bouzeron, white marl slopes at altitude produce the village's taut Aligoté. In Montagny, wines are raised mainly in concrete or steel, which preserves freshness. The practical lesson is to read the vineyard name on a Premier Cru: it tells you whether you are buying power, perfume or chalky precision.

Château de Fuissé: Vincent family estate, with the walled Le Clos vineyard.

A long-established Fuissé estate run by the Vincent family. Le Clos is a walled, estate-owned vineyard that gives one of Pouilly-Fuissé's most textured wines; the estate also bottles Saint-Véran.

Château de Fuissé is the village's best-known family estate, owned by the Vincent family since the nineteenth century according to Wine with Seth. Its showpiece is Le Clos, a small walled, estate-owned vineyard on the middle of the slope in Fuissé itself. The wine is raised in barrel for well over a year and is structured yet textural, with ripe stone fruit, yellow apple and white flowers over a mineral lift. A drinking window of five to eight years is typical, and good vintages go much longer. Le Clos costs noticeably more than the estate's standard Pouilly-Fuissé, so start with the regular bottling to learn the house style before paying for it. The same cellar makes a fresher, cheaper Saint-Véran. Check the label to see whether a Premier Cru vineyard name is printed.

Faiveley's Clos des Myglands: a Mercurey Premier Cru the house owns outright.

The Nuits-St-Georges house has long been strong in Mercurey, and it owns the whole of Clos des Myglands, a rare single-owner vineyard here.

Domaine Faiveley is best known for its Côte d'Or holdings, but it has deep roots in Mercurey and owns all of Clos des Myglands, a Premier Cru that works as a monopole, a rarity in a region where most vineyards are shared. That makes the wine a clear window onto one house's view of the village. Reviewers describe it as bright and cherry-like, intense without being heavy, with firm structure and a refined finish typical of the Chalonnaise's stony style. It is a Pinot Noir that rewards a few years in the cellar and is considerably cheaper than comparable Côte de Nuits wines. Faiveley also makes more modest Mercurey cuvées, so start there if the Premier Cru is out of reach. Serve it with roast poultry or Charolais beef.

Viré-Clessé's late pickers wait for botrytis and ferment for years.

At the top of Viré-Clessé, Bongran picks into late October in several passes, sometimes welcoming botrytis, then ferments with wild yeast for as long as it takes.

Most Mâconnais Chardonnay is picked early and bottled young. Domaine de la Bongran does the opposite. In the hamlet of Quintaine, on clay and white marl, the Thévenet family keeps yields very low and harvests as late as mid or late October, passing through the vines several times and sometimes welcoming noble rot. Fermentation uses native yeast and can take up to two years; everything is done in stainless steel with no oak, and the wines are released only after about four years. The result is a dry-leaning Chardonnay with unusual depth, and in some years an off-dry bottling (Levroute) or a fully sweet Botrytis cuvée. It shows how far the appellation can be pushed by a grower prepared to wait, and why a top Viré-Clessé behaves more like a serious white Burgundy than a Mâcon.

Vignes du Maynes: biodynamic Mâcon-Cruzille, wild yeast, no added sulphur.

Julien Guillot farms the family's vines in Cruzille biodynamically and makes natural-leaning Mâcon, with semi-carbonic Gamay and Pinot reds.

Pierre and Jeanne Guillot bought this Cruzille estate in 1952, and since Julien Guillot took over in 2001 it has been farmed biodynamically, never with chemicals. Harvest is by hand with careful sorting, fermentation uses native yeast, and no sulphur, enzymes or additives are used. Whites mature in large vats so oak never shows. Reds go through semi-carbonic maceration, a family method refined over three generations, and are bottled without sulphur unless truly necessary. Julien says the grape matters less than the ground, so the cuvées are named for geology and plots: Aragonite and Au Quin Château in Mâcon-Cruzille, Les Crays for the Pinot, plus Gamay, a Morgon and a Pouilly-Fuissé. Wines made without sulphur can vary from bottle to bottle, so buy two and compare. They are a good introduction to low-intervention Burgundy at Mâcon prices.

La Soufrandière: biodynamic Vinzelles estate, precise and saline.

The Bret brothers took over the family's vines in 2000 and farm them biodynamically with a horse, making Pouilly-Vinzelles and Saint-Véran by plot.

The Soufrandière estate in Vinzelles was bought in 1947 by the grandfather of Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret. A local co-operative farmed the vines for decades, until the brothers took them back in 2000. They now work a compact estate, mostly in Pouilly-Vinzelles and Saint-Véran, on red clay and crinoidal limestone, with vines from about 33 to 80 years old. Farming has been certified biodynamic since 2006, with horse ploughing and hand harvest. In the cellar they use native yeast, slow ferments, gentle whole-bunch pressing, and long ageing on fine lees in used oak. Les Quarts is the Vinzelles flagship, citrus-fresh with a saline finish; La Bonnode is a floral Saint-Véran with hazelnut; En Chatenay is a Pouilly-Fuissé with almond and flint. The brothers also run a négociant label, Bret Brothers, which covers the wider Mâconnais.

Off the beaten path: a late-picked, wild-yeast Viré-Clessé from Bongran.

Tradition is the way in; Cuvée E.J. Thévenet is the step-up. Unusual, long-lived Chardonnay that most friends will never have tasted.

Viré-Clessé from Domaine de la Bongran is the Mâconnais wine for people who think they know Mâcon. The Thévenet family picks late, ferments with wild yeast in steel very slowly, and releases the wines only after about four years, so what you buy is already mature and often better than much more expensive white Burgundy. Tradition is the main bottling and the best value; Cuvée E.J. Thévenet is selected from the best parcels and needs more time. In some years there is also an off-dry Levroute and a sweet Botrytis cuvée in half bottles, good with blue cheese or fruit tarts. Serve slightly warmer than a typical white, around cellar temperature, to let the aromas open. If you cannot find Bongran, La Soufrandière's Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts is the next stop for precise, biodynamic Mâconnais Chardonnay.

Pouilly-Fuissé grows in the shadow of two limestone rocks.

Around the Roche de Solutré and the Roche de Vergisson, vines sit in open amphitheatres facing south and east. The slopes catch the sun, the limestone gives a flinty edge, and the result is the Mâconnais' richest and most mineral Chardonnay.

Around the Roche de Solutré and the Roche de Vergisson, vines sit in open amphitheatres facing south and east. The slopes catch the sun, the limestone gives a flinty edge, and the result is the Mâconnais' richest and most mineral Chardonnay.

In the glass: Ripe peach and hazelnut fruit with a stony, smoky edge

Warmer south, gentler hills: riper Chardonnay, lighter Pinot than the Côte d'Or.

Further south and with softer relief, the Mâconnais is clearly warmer than Chablis or the Côte d'Or, so Chardonnay ripens to peach and melon with less acidity. The Chalonnaise is higher and less consistently east-facing, which gives lighter, earlier-maturing wines than the Côte d'Or.

Further south and with softer relief, the Mâconnais is clearly warmer than Chablis or the Côte d'Or, so Chardonnay ripens to peach and melon with less acidity. The Chalonnaise is higher and less consistently east-facing, which gives lighter, earlier-maturing wines than the Côte d'Or.

In the glass: Rounder, riper whites; lighter, earlier-drinking reds

A patchwork of soils: neighbouring vineyards taste different.

Around Pouilly-Fuissé the land is cut by faults into many soil types, from limestone to red clay. Vinzelles, with its more iron-rich soils, tends to be spicier and broader. It is why the grower and the named plot matter more than the village.

Around Pouilly-Fuissé the land is cut by faults into many soil types, from limestone to red clay. Vinzelles, with its more iron-rich soils, tends to be spicier and broader. It is why the grower and the named plot matter more than the village.

In the glass: Different texture and spice from one plot to the next

Co-ops make a large share of Mâcon - and the good ones are dependable.

Co-operatives are big here: the Lugny co-op alone makes a large share of all Mâcon, in steel with no oak. A named grower costs a little more and shows more site character, but a good co-op bottle is a safe, cheap choice.

Co-operatives are big here: the Lugny co-op alone makes a large share of all Mâcon, in steel with no oak. A named grower costs a little more and shows more site character, but a good co-op bottle is a safe, cheap choice.

In the glass: Co-ops: clean, fruity and consistent. Growers: more texture and site detail.

Viré-Clessé's late pickers wait for botrytis and ferment for years.

At the top of Viré-Clessé, Bongran picks into late October in several passes, sometimes welcoming botrytis, then ferments with wild yeast for as long as it takes.

Most Mâconnais Chardonnay is picked early and bottled young. Domaine de la Bongran does the opposite. In the hamlet of Quintaine, on clay and white marl, the Thévenet family keeps yields very low and harvests as late as mid or late October, passing through the vines several times and sometimes welcoming noble rot. Fermentation uses native yeast and can take up to two years; everything is done in stainless steel with no oak, and the wines are released only after about four years. The result is a dry-leaning Chardonnay with unusual depth, and in some years an off-dry bottling (Levroute) or a fully sweet Botrytis cuvée. It shows how far the appellation can be pushed by a grower prepared to wait, and why a top Viré-Clessé behaves more like a serious white Burgundy than a Mâcon.

In the glass: Deeper, more complex, longer-lived Chardonnay; some off-dry and sweet styles

In the Chalonnaise, vineyard soil and aspect decide the style of each village.

Givry's iron-rich Clos Jus makes dense reds; chalky Mercurey slopes give long, precise whites; the high marl above Bouzeron gives taut Aligoté.

The Côte Chalonnaise is a narrow strip of low hills with little uniformity, so single sites matter. In Givry, Clos Jus at Dracy-le-Fort has iron-rich red soil and makes dense, full-bodied reds, while the steep, walled, chalky Clos Salomon gives cherry-scented ones and the south-facing, clay-heavy Clos du Cellier aux Moines is bolder. In Mercurey, Les Croichots, the westernmost plot, yields long, precise whites with a chalky texture, and Champs Martin makes fuller wines for the cellar. Above Bouzeron, white marl slopes at altitude produce the village's taut Aligoté. In Montagny, wines are raised mainly in concrete or steel, which preserves freshness. The practical lesson is to read the vineyard name on a Premier Cru: it tells you whether you are buying power, perfume or chalky precision.

In the glass: Dense iron-rich reds (Givry), chalky whites (Mercurey), taut Aligoté (Bouzeron)

Most Mâcon is made in steel and rested on its lees: fruit first.

Co-ops and many growers skip oak entirely, so you taste yellow apple and melon, with lees adding a little softness. It is the reason Mâcon is cheap, easy and best young.

Co-ops and many growers skip oak entirely, so you taste yellow apple and melon, with lees adding a little softness. It is the reason Mâcon is cheap, easy and best young.

In the glass: Fresh, fruity, unoaked white with a soft texture

Pouilly-Fuissé and Chalonnaise Premier Crus use barrel for texture.

Top Rully, Mercurey and Pouilly-Fuissé whites are fermented and aged in barrel, usually only partly new. The oak adds cream and hazelnut without hiding the fruit.

Top Rully, Mercurey and Pouilly-Fuissé whites are fermented and aged in barrel, usually only partly new. The oak adds cream and hazelnut without hiding the fruit.

In the glass: Creamier, nuttier, fuller wines that age

Rully and Lugny turn Chardonnay and Pinot into Crémant de Bourgogne.

Sparkling wine by the Champagne method has been made in Rully since the early nineteenth century, from hand-picked grapes. Lugny's co-op is now the region's largest producer of Crémant.

Sparkling wine by the Champagne method has been made in Rully since the early nineteenth century, from hand-picked grapes. Lugny's co-op is now the region's largest producer of Crémant.

In the glass: Citrus, apple and light brioche; fine bubbles

Biodynamic farming and wild yeast mark the Mâconnais' new wave.

Vignes du Maynes, La Soufrandière and Bongran farm organically or biodynamically and ferment with native yeast. Expect more texture, a savoury edge and slow, detailed wines.

Vignes du Maynes, La Soufrandière and Bongran farm organically or biodynamically and ferment with native yeast. Expect more texture, a savoury edge and slow, detailed wines.

In the glass: Textured, savoury, expressive; more variable bottle to bottle

Semi-carbonic maceration makes a juicier Mâcon rouge.

Whole bunches ferment partly inside the berries, giving bright, low-tannin fruit. A natural-wine favourite for Gamay, used by Vignes du Maynes.

Whole bunches ferment partly inside the berries, giving bright, low-tannin fruit. A natural-wine favourite for Gamay, used by Vignes du Maynes.

In the glass: Fresh, juicy, light-bodied reds with candied raspberry fruit