Top 2019 Mâconnais en primeur wines
Charles Curtis MW presents a summary and top-scoring wines from the Mâconnais following a particularly challenging 2019 season.
Scroll down to see Charles Curtis MW’s Mâconnais 2019 top scorers
See individual appellation overviews for:
Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise
According to Audrey Braccini of Domaine JA Ferret in Pouilly-Fuissé, 2019 was particularly challenging in the Mâconnais: ‘It was a capricious season at every level, with an almost sinister softness – in February we were pruning in t-shirts!’
By May, however, cold weather had set in, and conditions were 13 days behind an average year.
Flowering was extremely difficult, and some of the bunches were less than 50g, compared to an average weight of 125g or more. Mid-veraison occurred on 5 August, and harvesting started on 10 September.
Usually, Braccini would pick on the early side, but skins were so thick that she decided to wait for them to soften a bit to avoid extracting bitter phenolic compounds at the press.
Eric Forest, also of Pouilly-Fuissé, waited until the weekend to start picking. He works mostly with old vines and appreciates a wine with plenty of substance as long as it is balanced. Working with yields as low as 10hl/ha in the most frost-affected sites, he ultimately brought in grapes that ranged up to 14.5% potential alcohol with acidities from 3.80g/l to 4g/l.
Although the harvest was small, it produced wines that should age for years to come.
Best Mâconnais producers in 2019
- Héritiers du Comte Lafon
- Domaine JA Ferret
- Eric Forest
- Bret Brothers / Domaine de la Soufrandière
- Deux Roches (Collovray & Terrier)
One to watch:
- Eric Forest (Pouilly Fuissé)
See Charles Curtis MW’s top-scoring 2019 Mâconnais tasting notes and scores
See also
Full Burgundy 2019 vintage report
Chablis 2019: Full vintage report and top-scoring wines
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine, Burgundy, France, 2019
This 1.3ha site is perhaps the best of the Lafon holdings in the Maconnais.The east-facing vines are located in the middle of the slope, in...
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais
Domaine Ferret, Hors Class Tournant de Pouilly, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2019
The 2019 Tournant de Pouilly is from 60-year-old vines planted on north-east facing slopes. The wine shows a lilting lemony fruit on the initial attack,...
2019
Domaine FerretMâconnais
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Clos de la Crochette, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Chardonnay, Burgundy, France, 2019
This site in the village of Chardonnay is nearly 3ha in size and the grapes ripen quickly in the thin clay soils, with limestone pebbles....
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâconnais, St-Véran, Burgundy, France, 2019
The most recent acquisition of the Heritiers du Comte Lafon are three parcels spread between Prissé and Davayé that total 2ha. The grapes are gently...
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Le Monsard, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Bussières, Burgundy, France, 2019
From 0.74ha in a single vineyard in Bussières, with a southwest exposure and thin clay soils over limestone, similar to those of Pouilly-Fuissé. The grapes...
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais
Bret Brothers, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France, 2019
This bottling is blended from an assortment of classic Mâconnais terroirs, including Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran En Combe, Pouilly-Fuissé En Carementrant and others.The fruit is gently pressed...
2019
Bret BrothersMâconnais
Bret Brothers, Clos de Mon Grandpère, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Vinzelles, Burgundy, France, 2019
This parcel is located at the base of Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts. It is part of a clos that straddles the appellations of Mâcon and Pouilly....
2019
Bret BrothersMâconnais
Domaine Ferret, Hors Classe Ménétrières, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2019
From a 0.8ha parcel on the Plateau de Beauregard, at the entrance to the village on east/southeast-facing slopes. Thanks to this early-ripening location, the vines...
2019
Domaine FerretMâconnais
Bret Brothers, La Verchère, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé, Burgundy, France, 2019
From 55-year-old, certified organic vines planted on east-facing slopes north of Viré in limestone soils.The whole clusters are pressed, fermented and matured in cask for...
2019
Bret BrothersMâconnais
Domaine Pierre Vessigaud, Les Taches, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2019
Shows a pronounced floral edge to the ripe pear and quince fruit. On the palate, the wine is ripe and lush, but there is enough...
2019
Domaine Pierre VessigaudMâconnais
Bret Brothers, Les Crays, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Chardonnay, Burgundy, France, 2019
Produced from 0.5ha in a single, west-facing parcel on steep slopes with thin, marly soils over limestone. The result is a wine of marvellous purity,...
2019
Bret BrothersMâconnais
Bret Brothers, Sous Les Plantes, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé, Burgundy, France, 2019
This is located on the opposite side of Viré from La Verchère, at the bottom of the east-facing slope, in clay and silt soils. On...
2019
Bret BrothersMâconnais
Domaine Marcel Brubach, Les Diablotins, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2019
This cuvée (named for his devilish little children), is blended from several small parcels at the entrance to Soultré-Pouilly. The result at present is slightly...
2019
Domaine Marcel BrubachMâconnais
Domaine Joseph Drouhin, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Vinzelles, Burgundy, France, 2019
This is purchased fruit that Drouhin presses itself and then ferments in used 500L casks. The result has surprising definition, with notes of ripe green...
2019
Domaine Joseph DrouhinMâconnais
Domaine Ferret, Tête de Cru Perrieres, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2019
This has a lovely definition of crisp, lemony fruit, with hints of spice and a suggestion of butter. The texture is fresh and lively, and...
2019
Domaine FerretMâconnais
Verget, Mâconnais, St-Véran, Burgundy, France, 2019
All the fruit is from high-elevation vineyards in Prissé, with less of a southern exposition. The wine is ripe, but maintains its elegant blend of...
2019
VergetMâconnais
Domaine La Soufrandière, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Vinzelles, Burgundy, France, 2019
This monopole is a clos located at the base of Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts, straddling the appellations of Mâcon and Pouilly, planted with old vines, some...
2019
Domaine La SoufrandièreMâconnais
Domaine de la Garenne, Mâconnais, Mâcon Azé, Burgundy, France, 2019
The wine shows lovely lemon and apricot fruit of delightful purity on the nose. On the palate, the wine is clean and fresh, ripe, but...
2019
Domaine de la GarenneMâconnais
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Les Maranches, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Uchizy, Burgundy, France, 2019
Blended from two parcels a bit lower on the slope, but still in sight of the Saône. The early-ripening site delivered fruit with up to...
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France, 2019
Very agreeable, ripe apple fruit, with a soft, approachable texture on the palate. This entry-level wine from Lafon’s Mâcon operation is blended from all of...
2019
Les Héritiers du Comte LafonMâconnais