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BURGUNDY
– VINEYARDS –
Raphaël Sallet
ambiguity is amusing, so why put a stop to it?” Most of the wines
are Mâcon-Villages. Sallet explains the nuances: this northerly area
produces a white wine called Mâcon blanc or Mâcon Chardonnay.
But when the juice comes from one of the 27 villages where the
soils are a little more interesting, a complementary geographical
designation is added. These include Mâcon-Azé and Mâcon-Bray,
through to Mâcon-Vinzelles. He produces primarily Mâcon-Uchizy.
Production specifications, which are slightly more restrictive in
terms of yield, add to the intensity of the wines with a geographical
designation. And if ever juice from several of the listed villages is
used, it is referred to as Mâcon-Villages (in the plural).
Sallet likes energetic wines, with a good acid-alcohol balance.
Due to climate change, he harvests very early in the morning. In
just 2 hours the grapes are in the press, and the metal tanks are
temperature-controlled. But what is the difference between his
wines and Chablis? “A Mâcon generally features more fruit, but
more importantly, it is now much more affordable”.
DOMAINE PERRAUD:
CONVERTING TO ORGANIC
A little farther South, at the aptly-named ‘La Roche Vineuse’, is Jean-
Christophe Perraud’s estate. Created in 2005 from family vineyards
passed down through 4 generations, it currently covers 37 hectares.
Perraud sells a lot of Mâcon-Villages. He explains that in the past,
most winegrowers sold in bulk under the appellation, enabling
50 AUTUMN 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE