Burgundy Mâconnais vineyards near Solutré
Credit: phbcz / iStock via Getty Images Plus
(Image credit: phbcz / iStock via Getty Images Plus)

Premier cru status has been granted to four Chardonnay vineyard sites across the Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché appellations in the Mâconnais area of southern Burgundy, as of the 2024 vintage. 

Their promotion follows premier cru status for 22 sites in nearby Pouilly-Fuissé in 2020, and reinforces how the Mâconnais is gaining greater recognition after years of flying below the radar. 

Premier cru status has been granted to three ‘climats’ in Pouilly-Vinzelles and one in Pouilly-Loché. They are: 

  • Les Longeays | 7.5 hectares (ha) | Pouilly-Vinzelles
  • Le Pétaux | 2.76ha | Pouilly-Vinzelles
  • Les Quarts | 12.45ha | Pouilly-Vinzelles
  • Les Mûres | 7.09ha | Pouilly-Loché  

Wine industry leaders for the Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché appellations, which cover 52ha and 32ha respectively, described the four clay-limestone climats as ‘gems of the Mâconnais’. 

They have spent nearly 20 years navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth of France’s appellation system to obtain premier cru status.

Decanter contributor Panos Kakaviatos reported in 2022 that a promotion bid for the Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché climats was on-track for 2024.

Production rules include a ban on all herbicides, which is a first for premier cru climats in Burgundy, according to regional body the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB). 

Grapes must be harvested by hand and total yields cannot exceed 58 hectolitres per ha, it said. 

Wines must also be aged until at least 1 July in the year after harvest, and can only be released for sale from 15 July.

In 2023, Decanter’s Burgundy correspondent, Charles Curtis MW, highlighted the value offered by wines from the Mâconnais.

He also noted, ‘Driven by spiralling costs, top growers from the Côte d’Or have expanded their holdings here, including Puligny’s Domaine Leflaive and Meursault’s Domaine des Comtes Lafon.’

Will Hargrove, head of fine wine for merchant Corney & Barrow – UK agent for Domaine Leflaive – also recently highlighted the Mâconnais as a good place to look for high quality, single-vineyard wines offering relative value in Burgundy.

Speaking to Decanter for the White Burgundy collector’s guide, Hargrove likened the area to Piedmont in terms of its rolling terrain.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.