10 of the Best Wines From Burgundy’s Mâcon
Burgundy is intimidating, not least because of the dizzying prices the top Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the world’s most famous wine region command. As long as demand remains high for Montrachets, Meursaults, Vougeots, and Vosne-Romanées, to name just a few storied appellations, they will be out of reach for most consumers.
So how can we enjoy the essence of Burgundy, especially the white Chardonnays, at more affordable prices? The answer is simple: by going south.
At Burgundy’s southern end lies the Mâconnais, a subregion that has gained in stature for its fuller-style Chardonnays of various styles, depending on their specific appellations.
As Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson describe it in “The World Atlas of Wine,” “there is no shortage of strong, stylish, well-made answers to the Chardonnays of the New World here, wines with a perceptibly French accent whose ranks swell with every vintage.”
I think they capture the wines perfectly. Because the Mâconnais lies in the southern end of Burgundy where the climate is warmer, the wines are richer and more fruit-driven, which is to say a bit more “New World” in style. The better ones also show a good deal of minerality, a reflection of the limestone soils that dominate the region.
In terms of the appellations, they include Pouilly-Fuissé (the most famous of them), Saint-Véran, Mâcon-Villages, and the more than two dozen villages permitted to attach their names to “Mâcon,” such as Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Verzé, and Mâcon-Igé.
While almost all the wines of the Mâconnais are made from Chardonnay, I came across one delicious and inexpensive red wine, a Gamay from the Mâcon-Pierreclos appellation. Gamay, of course, is the grape of Beaujolais, which lies just south of the Mâconnais.
Here are 10 of the top wines from the Mâconnais:
Sylvaine & Alain Normand Mâcon La Roche Vineuse 2023
The label on this outstanding Chardonnay says it is “born of limestone soils, is rich with fruit, laced with spice and stone.” The fruit includes a combination of red and green apple and stone-fruit flavors, hints of strawberry and lemon-lime, all leading to a lengthy, mineral-driven finish. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged on the lees without exposure to oak.
Price: $29
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Domaine Famille Paquet Saint-Véran ‘Les 99 Coupées’ 2022
Saint-Véran is as south as it gets in Burgundy, and the wines can take on tropical fruit notes, as this exciting example does with its yellow delicious apple and pineapple flavors. The vines lie in clay-limestone soils and the wine is aged for eight months in oak barrels, which gives it a creamy and spicy overlay. Paquet uses organic and biodynamic practices.
Price: $32
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Domaine de la Croix Senaillet Saint-Véran 2022
Green apple skin, tropical fruit, and herb notes form the essence of this richly textured Chardonnay made from organically grown grapes. The fruit is framed by a perfectly proportioned creamy texture from aging on the lees. A great example of affordable Burgundy.
Price: $22
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Domaine Michel Barraud Mâcon-Villages 2022
Citrus, saline, and a touch of rosemary give this Chardonnay good complexity, accenting green apple and apricot notes. There’s a nice wet stone minerality and a subtle vanilla layer that elevates the wine beyond its broad Mâcon-Villages designation. It’s another great under-$20 Burgundy value.
Price: $18
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Jean-Marc Boillot Mâcon-Villages 2023
A mineral-driven wine with excellent balance, it shows Bosc pear, orange, and lime pith flavors with a touch of herbs. Aging in mostly used oak barrels keeps the wood influence restrained. (The 2023 is just being distributed, so the link below is for the 2022.)
Price: $29
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Famille Vincent Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Marie-Antoinette’ 2022
Flinty minerality, spice, and a good deal of oak are the hallmarks of this luscious Chardonnay from one of the Mâconnais’ best-known producers, Chateau Fuissé, owned by the Vincent family. Citrus and green apple flavors are accented by Mediterranean herbs and a hint of crème brûlée on the finish.
Price: $30
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Domaines Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 2022
This is a stunning example of what can be achieved in the Mâconnais, in this case by a famed producer based in Burgundy’s prestigious Côte d’Or. It’s marked by seamless integration of fruit, oak, and acidity, which produces a suave Chardonnay with no rough edges. Apricot, green apple, mandarin, flowers, and a hint of cream are the main aromas and flavors.
Price: $59
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Pierre Vessigaud Mâcon-Fuissé ‘Le Haut de Fuissé’ 2022
This is a lovely wine with stone fruit, pink grapefruit, and white peach skin aromas, along with hints of flowers, flint, and smoke. The oak influence is subtle, showing as a nice touch of creaminess on the finish. The property has been in the Vessigaud family since 1839.
Price: $30
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Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Mâcon-Villages ‘Clos Saint-Pancras’ 2023
There’s a slightly reductive quality here, presenting as a subtle matchstick aroma, which is not uncommon in white Burgundies. Combined with honeysuckle, plenty of citrus, stone fruits, and a wisp of oak, the result is a young and fresh wine that will develop nicely for several years.
Price: $23
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Thevenet & Fils Mâcon-Pierreclos 2023
This Gamay, an outlier in the Mâcon, is a great alternative to Beaujolais at an unbeatable price. Made without oak, it shows blueberry and ripe raspberry notes along with brown sugar, baking spices, and chalky minerality. Its lively acidity, combined with a chill, make it refreshing and quaffable.
Price: $14
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