Cheveau Macon-Chaintre "Le Clos" 2009

The Maconnais is in southern Burgundy and is best known for producing Pouilly Fuisse - the pale, refreshing and often delicate version of Chardonnay in Burgundy. It may also, depending on how much you love Beaujolais, mean more to you that the Macon is north of Beaujolais. Some people believe its proximity to Beaujolais keep the wines modest, but we believe they are more "wholesome" to quote Hugh Johnson.

Domaine Cheveau's Macon-Chaintre is from vineyards that fall within the AOC of Pouilly-Fuisse. What does this mean to you? Well, you're not only getting Burgundian Chardonnay, but you're getting baby Pouilly-Fuisse Chardonnay and that equals a delicious value. 

The 2009 Cheveau is young and perky. Fresh green apple, citrus (both yellow and green) and a touch of honey show up on the palate. A touch chalky, just like you'd expect from Burgundy and a little, well, wholesome.

Cheveau Macon - Chaintre 2009     $21 a bottle

meet the winemaker

Nicolas Cheveau
Domaine Michel Cheveau is a 14 hectare family estate created in the 1950s by Andre Cheveau, passed on to his son, Michel, and now his grandson, Nicolas runs the estate.

Rumor has it, that his cellars are immaculate and the vineyards are tended with exceptional care. Although small, the cave is full of large oak barrels, new and old, barriques and small capacity stainless steel vats that are neatly lined and spotlessly cleaned. The vineyards are worked without fertilizers and the harvest is done manually from low yielding vines grown in various parcels of vineyard that are spread from St. Amour to Davayé, though the core of the domaine is situated around Pouilly.

While we don't know much, or seem to find much on Monsieur Cheveau - what we can find we like and moreover, what we really like is how little he's paid attention to his web presence so he can pay more attention to the vines.