2023 Frantz Chagnoleau Mâcon-Villages Clos Saint Pancras

WINEMAKER: Caroline Gon & Frantz Chagnoleau
REGION: Burgundy, FR
VARIETY: Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Certified Organic

A single site on the Montagne de Clessé near Viré. 240m altitude, very windy. Light limestone mix with small stones near an old quarry. East exposure, with a frequent north wind. 30+ year old vines. Indigenous yeast. Fermented and aged in older foudre.

"Caroline Gon and her partner, Frantz Chagnoleau, are among my go-to producers in the Mâconnais. Gon greeted me at the diminutive cellar on a bright sunny morning to guide me through their portfolio that centers around 6.8 hectares of vines around Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé. The centerpiece is 3.55 hectares of Mâcon-Villages in Le Clos Saint Pancras, which sits at 350m altitude. I first met Gon a few years back at Héritiers Comtes Lafon when she managed the day-to-day operations of Dominique Lafon’s estate (incidentally, their 2021s were reviewed in my Burgundy barrel report published in January.) There has always been a strong artisanal approach here, a sense of precision and prudence. New wood is judiciously used with a preference for 500-liter demi-muids and foudres, keeping wines on their lees...“I adore these wines. They rank among the finest in the region, and their Saint-Véran got me entertaining the idea of Premier Cru status being extended to this appellation. On the other hand, not all winemakers have the aptitude and talent of this pair." - Neal Martin