Wine collectors have long adored Burgundy and its legendary vineyards. But in recent years, prices have been reaching astronomical levels; a jeroboam of 1999 Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache recently sold for over $200,000 in Hong Kong. Due to insatiable global demand, Burgundy’s blue-chip wines are now breaking auction records on a monthly basis. The hype surrounding the most glamorous appellations of Chambertin, Musigny and Vosne-Romanée is unparalleled.

However, Burgundy has many strings to its bow. If you travel into the southern part of Burgundy, you’ll encounter the town of Mâcon. At first glance, this provincial and sleepy conurbation is unremarkable. Yet it is adjacent to one of Burgundy’s premier sub-regions: the Mâconnais. Named after the town itself, the vineyards of the Mâconnais produce a great deal of superb wine, often at very accessible prices. Indeed, both enthusiasts and entrepreneurs are heading south into the Mâconnais, in search of wines and land they can afford. They are following in the footsteps of Meursault’s Dominique Lafon and the late Anne-Claude Leflaive, who have done much to enhance its reputation and cachet.

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The Mâconnais: an overview

The Mâconnais wine region has been a centre of viticulture since Roman times, situated 60 miles northwest of the city of Lyon. Its rolling pastoral hills and limestone escarpments are idyllic, attracting hikers and nature lovers from all over Europe. They come for the exercise, but they stay for the food and wine. Chardonnay is the mainstay of production here, thriving in the calcareous soils of the region (a mixture of limestone overlaid with clay or alluvial deposits). Today, Chardonnay accounts for almost 90% of all wine made in the sub-region, equaling the output of Chablis in terms of volume. There is also a small amount of red wine made, produced from the Pinot Noir and Gamay grape varieties.

In this respect, the Mâconnais is very similar to the Cote d’Or—yet there are also significant differences. The Cote d’Or is renowned for its densely planted vineyards which run north-south through the verdant countryside. However, Mâconnais vineyards are more sparsely planted and intermixed with land dedicated to farming. Nevertheless, the area’s vineyards are undeniably spectacular, sandwiched between the Grosne valley to the west and the Saone river to the east.

Climate is the other key factor separating the wines of the Mâconnais region from the Cote’d’Or further north. Conditions are warmer and drier in the Mâconnais, due to its more southerly latitude. As a result, spring frosts are relatively rare and summers are often characterised by temperatures in excess of 25 degrees. So it is hardly surprising that the white wines taste so perceptibly different to Chablis. In the increasingly common hot vintages, Mâconnais whites are rich and voluptuous, while the reds are strawberry-scented and refined. The Mâconnais is home to several flourishing appellations, the most important of which are listed below.

View our range of wines from the Mâconnais wine region

Mâcon

The Mâcon appellation is something of an anomaly in Burgundy. As a rule, Burgundy places the highest importance on vineyard origin: a wine labelled as ‘Meursault’ can only come from a strictly delimited area, surrounding the village of Meursault in the Cote de Beaune. However, any wine producer in the Mâconnais sub-region is entitled to use the Mâcon designation, regardless of where they source their grapes. Introduced in 1937, it is an appellation that offers a guarantee of quality to the consumer rather than location-specific requirements. All Mâcon wines must contain a minimum level of alcohol, and there are limits on yields and production volumes.

Under the appellation rules, white, red and rosé wines may be made. Produced from the Chardonnay grape, white Mâcon wines are fuller and richer than Chablis, with notes of butterscotch, stone fruit and a mineral edge. There is a good supply of Mâcon, so prices have remained very stable and reasonable; with every vintage, a new grower enters the market. A smaller volume of delicious red is also bottled under the Mâcon designation, either made from the Pinot Noir or Gamay grape varieties. At its best, Mâcon Pinot Noir is fruit-forward and less tannic than equivalent wines from the Cote d’Or. Notes of raspberry, red cherry and blueberry are typically detected, supported by ripe acidity.

Mâcon Villages

There are currently 27 villages entitled to label their wines as Mâcon Villages in the Mâconnais sub-region, provided they comply with the appellation rules pertaining to yields and production methods. The Chardonnay-based whites are brisk, ripe and moreish, with tropical fruit flavours and notes of vanilla in hotter vintages like 2018. They are Burgundy’s answer to popular Chardonnay wines made in the New World; stylish, well-made, and affordable. A small amount of red wine is also produced, sourced from the Pinot Noir or Gamay varieties.

There are further sub-categories to be discovered. A number of villages within the Mâcon geographical zone are considered superior to others, due to the quality and consistency of their wine output. Such villages are entitled to use the name Mâcon as a prefix; Mâcon Lugny, Uchizy and Prisse are regarded as some of the best sources of Chardonnay wines in southern Burgundy. Indeed, they specialise in producing keenly priced, aromatic and full-bodied white wines.

Saint-Véran

For many consumers, the mere mention of the term ‘white Burgundy’ invokes expectations of high prices and special-occasion drinking. Yet the wines of Saint-Véran are anything but elitist. Created in 1971, the appellation is situated in the southern end of the Mâconnais, divided into two small ‘islands’ separated from each other by the larger Pouilly-Fuissé appellation. It is composed of eight communes, including the villages of Chasselas and Saint-Amour. The soils are a mixture of sand and clay. Unlike the Mâcon and Mâcon Villages designations, only 100% Chardonnay wines can be labelled as Saint-Véran.

It is undeniable that Saint-Véran lacks the prestige of feted Burgundy designations like Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne. However, quality standards are very high in Saint-Véran, as producers are constantly seeking to prove their worth. The Chardonnay wines are some of the best value in Burgundy. Aromas of vanilla, citrus fruit and toast are quintessential characteristics of Saint-Véran whites, with ripe apple and citrus on the palate. There is a lovely voluptuous quality inherent to these wines, the ideal white Burgundy for weekend enjoyment.

Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé is the jewel in the crown of the Mâconnais. Situated in the far south of the sub-region, it is within touching distance of Beaujolais. The Pouilly-Fuissé appellation is exclusively in the Chardonnay business. Its most iconic landmark is the Rock of Solutré, a steep limestone escarpment with prized vineyards cultivated on its lower slopes. The terroir is some of the finest in the Mâconnais: well-drained limestone soils with a sunny aspect and favourable elevation. The best wines can rival the famous names of the Cote de Beaune. The north and west slopes of the La Roche Vineuse, another sub-zone within the appellation, are also considered to be prime Chardonnay real estate.

The Pouilly-Fuissé appellation was created in 1936. Its geographical boundaries encompass the villages of Solutré-Pouilly, Fuissé, Vergisson and Chaintré, which are some of the prettiest in the Mâconnais. The landscape is a spectacular series of wave-shaped limestone hills, rich in alkaline clay and minerals. Chardonnay thrives in such conditions, producing rich and concentrated wines with ample acidity that are seldom expensive. As elsewhere, attitudes to oak maturation vary from winemaker to winemaker. Certain producers champion the added flavour and texture of new French barrique, whereas others prefer the more subtle effects of old wood.

Until recently, Pouilly-Fuissé was an outlier in Burgundy as there was no hierarchical classification of the appellation’s vineyards. But in September 2020, the French authorities certified 22 climats (vineyard sites) as being of Premier Cru status. Growers were overjoyed, as they had spent years campaigning for such a move. These single-vineyard bottlings represent the very best of the Mâconnais.

More importantly, the classification is evidence of a dramatic shift in attitudes towards the Mâconnais sub-region. In the 20th century, the Mâconnais was something of a ‘forgotten area’. Wine critics and merchants championed the quality and value on offer, but the Burgundian establishment largely ignored its potential. Yet as land prices have become prohibitively expensive in the Cote d’Or, a growing firmament of influential producers are helping to elevate the region to the ranks of ‘Grand Cru’. Today, the reputation of the Mâconnais is rising. It’s an opportune time to stock up on a few bottles, particularly as prices remain reasonable.

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