2017 Maison Valette Mâcon-Chaintré Vieilles Vignes

WINEMAKER: Philippe Valette
REGION: Burgundy, FR
VARIETAL: Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

"From 65-year-old vines; bottled a full two and a half years after the harvest; 80% aged in oak and 20% in tank: Since 2015 this wine is vinified and bottled without sulfur. Valette's Mâcon-Chaintré Vieilles Vignes responds well to oxygen—in fact, it's best decanted. I have followed this wine over several days where the fruit fans out and the latent minerality becomes more profound.

The 2017 typically opens in the glass with aromas of citrus and orchard fruit with a lovely floral lift. The wine is medium to full-bodied and has a powerful presence yet is only moderate in alcohol and has lively acids, superb purity and a long, sapid finish. This is an excellent vintage for the Valette's Mâcon-Chaintré that exemplifies the last two decades of reflection and evolution at this estate. This wine will age effortlessly in a good cellar and provide many years of pleasure." - Andrew Guard