Adventures in Wine > Burgundy > Domaine des Verchères
Domaine des Verchères
Winery: Domaine des Verchères
Region: Burgundy
Sub-region: Côte de Beaune
Mâcon-Villages
Domaine des Verchères is a family domaine located in the northernmost part of the Mâcon region, just south of the Côtes Chalonnaise. Owner Andre Dupuis is now succeeded by his two sons, Remi and Jean-Christophe. The 10-hectare Mâcon-Villages vineyard, in the communes of Mancey and Royer, is planted entirely with Chardonnay on south-east facing slopes at an average altitude of 250 meters. The vines average 30 years of age.
The soils in the two largest parcels are a mix of clay and limestone, covered with small white pebbles. In one parcel, the subsoil is deep and cool clay, which makes for a slow ripening process and the development of complex pit-fruit and citrus flavors. The other parcel has an almost pure rock soil where the vines’ roots go deep into the limestone. This parcel warms up early and provides ripe, generous Chardonnay fruit with a distinct minerality. The exceptional quality of the Domaine des Verchères Mâcon-Villages is the result of the blending of the fruit from these two vineyard sites.
Dupuis pere pioneered the use of the “Guyot simple” pruning method, then more common in the Côte d’Or, but not in the Mâcon region. By using this method, which leaves one fruit-bearing branch (cane) on the vine, the viticulter is able to reduce yields and obtain more concentrated fruit. More recently, the Dupuis sons have planted grass in every second row and placed straw in the others in order to control erosion on the steep slopes and preserve the health of the soil.
The Chardonnay grapes are quickly pressed in a state-of-the-art pneumatic press, in order to extract all the fruit and aromas while avoiding any bitterness. The juice ferments (using only native yeasts) and is aged entirely in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. The wine is assembled and bottled after the malolactic fermentation finishes in the Spring. It is the perfect all-purpose white wine, served chilled but not ice-cold. The Domaine des Verchères Mâcon-Villages represents outstanding value in Burgundian Chardonnay.
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