($50):  Tasting this Pouilly-Fuissé side-by-side with Domaine de La Garenne’s fine Mâcon wines, you easily see the differences between those two appellations, even though they abut one another in places.  Someone clearly knew where to draw the lines.  Always a popular Chardonnay-based wine in the U.S.,… Read more

($33):  Comparing this wine, from the southern part of the Mâconnais, to Domaine de La Garenne’s Mâcon-Azé, which is located in the north of the appellation, shows the fabulous diversity within the Mâconnais.  The bolder Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly delivers more weight and more stoniness without losing any freshness. … Read more

($33):  It is worth repeating — the Mâconnais is the place to fine excellent white wines, especially from the 2022 vintage, at reasonable prices.  As more and more growers discover the beauty of this part of Burgundy, we will see wines, like this one, that provide greater specificity regarding the origin of the grapes. … Read more

($35):  Saint-Véran, which lies adjacent to Pouilly-Fuissé in the Mâconnais, lies between single village Mâcon wines, like Mâcon-Azé, and Pouilly-Fuissé in the appellation hierarchy.  That is not to say you can’t find a Mâcon-Azé that is more stylish and enjoyable than a Saint-Véran, nor does it mean that every Pouilly-Fuissé is superior to every Saint-Véran. … Read more

($33):  Despite the location of the vineyard, Le Grand Bussière, in the village of Fuissé, the appellation is Saint-Véran because Fuissé (the village) spans two appellations, Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran.  (Who ever said that Burgundy was simple to understand?)  This edgy Saint-Véran, with its cutting stone-y quality, shows why that appellation ranks above Mâcon in prestige. … Read more

($60):  There is no better producer in the Mâconnais than La Soufrandière, a family domaine owned by the Bret Brothers.  The brothers also buy grapes from neighbors and other growers who have the same meticulous philosophy as they and bottle them as a négociant under the label, Bret Brothers. … Read more

($72):  The French wine authorities have finally identified and codified Premier Cru vineyards for Pouilly-Fuissé so that moniker along with the vineyard name is now appearing on the label, just as in the rest of Burgundy.  Unsurprisingly, the elevation of some vineyards to Premier Cru classification has brought with it an elevation of price. … Read more

($93, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Maison Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top producers, recently purchased Domaine J. A. Ferret, one of stars of Pouilly-Fuissé.  Under Jadot’s leadership, the quality of the Ferret wines, already top-notch, has risen even more.  (Sadly, so has the price.) … Read more

($30):  Florent Rouve, owner of Domaine Rijckaert, explains that he wants to “maintain the freshness and purity” of the grapes, so eschews aging in new oak barrels and batonnâge (stirring of the lees), which tends to increase richness of the wines. … Read more

($30):  The Mâconnais, a less prestigious part of Burgundy south of the well-heeled Côte d’Or, is the place to find superb Chardonnay-based wines.  When the wine come from a single village, such as Bussières or Lugny to name just two, the village name can appear on the label instead of the more generic, Mâcon-Villages. … Read more

($38, Louis Latour, USA):  Appellations within the Mâconnais, like Viré-Clessé, are the place to go to find affordable, or at least more affordable, white Burgundy.  Viré and Clessé, two adjacent villages whose wines previously were labeled as Mâcon-Viré and Mâcon-Clessé, convinced French wine regulators that their wines were distinctive enough to merit their own appellations. … Read more

($49):  The buzz engulfing Pouilly-Fuissé comes from the well-deserved designation of premier cru vineyards.  So, now that distinction will appear on labels.  But let’s not forget the village wines.  A village Pouilly-Fuissé from a top house, like Auvigue, will compete with those labeled premier cru from less talented producers. … Read more

($47):  Marsannay, almost a suburb of Dijon, is the northernmost appellation of the Côtes de Nuits.  Usually, wines from Burgundy’s exalted Côtes de Nuits, think Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, or Vosne-Romanée, are frightfully expensive.  Marsannay has not gotten the message — yet.  They will. … Read more

($106, Martine’s Wines):  Domaine Buisson-Charles, a well-regarded Meursault-based family domaine, blends grapes from six parcels to make this stellar village wine.   Some are hillside parcels that provide grapes with higher acidity, and some are lower down that imbue the grapes, and subsequent wine, with more richness. … Read more

($52):  The story goes that a parcel of vines in the Merusault Perrières vineyard lost its exalted appellation classification when the owner added 10-inches or so of topsoil to replace that which had been washed away.  That modification turned what is now called Chaumes des Perrières into Bourgogne Blanc — not even Meursault. … Read more

($24):  Albert Bichot, like many of Burgundy’s top producers, owns vineyards — is a grower — and acts as a négociant, buying grapes/and or newly pressed juice from other growers.  This elegant and refreshing Crémant falls into the latter category.  Its tiny bubbles dance on the palate. … Read more