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BURGUNDY
– VINEYARDS –
The Rocks of Solutré and Vergisson
Geographically, the Mâconnais is situated between the Grosne
valley in the West and the Saône valley in the East. Fifty
kilometres long and 15 wide, the area boasts 6 hill chains
peaking at 400 m above sea level, rising to 500 m for
the Rocks of Solutré and Vergisson. These two limestone
escarpments, used by mankind since prehistoric times, often encapsulate
the region’s picture-postcard image.
AN AREA WITH A COMPLEX TOPOGRAPHY
The soils where the vines grow are limestone, sand or clay, with stony
scree of varying sizes. At the bottom of the slopes are silt or marly soils,
and in the far southern tip, near Beaujolais, the soils are clayey-siliceous.
The climate is temperate, with an oceanic and southern influence.
Although there is a general trend towards global warming, farming’s
main stumbling blocks over the past few years have been the sudden
weather events. Even though vines are also exposed, they remain the
region’s primary activity.
DOMAINE RAPHAEL SALLET:
THE NUANCES OF MÂCON-VILLAGE
Along with his wife Marylène, Raphaël Sallet runs an estate he created
35 years ago. Starting with 0.6 hectares, he explains how he has
gradually planted vines and now manages 30 hectares. His modest
explanation is, “land was available”. The farm is located in Uchizy, in
the North of the area, near Tournus and a village called... Chardonnay.
Although the area’s viticulture is based on its namesake grape variety,
Sallet smiles when asked if it was named after the village. “We now
know that the grape variety may have more distant origins, and the
name of the village apparently means places with thistles. But the
AUTUMN 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 49