Jean Manciat considers his Franclieu vineyard to be his best site, and you won't get any arguments here. An absurd value in high-quality, small grower White Burgundy, I have long considered Manciat to be one of the most underrated superstars of the Maconnais. From the high-quality/low-quantity 2021 vintage, this won't be around for long.
That's right, Vintage 2021 was incredibly hard for producers throughout Burgundy. First it was frosts in the spring, then it was heavy rains and hail closer to harvest. Despite these challenges and despite yields being down 50-75%, Jean Manciat still produced a luscious and delightful bottle of wine. Just 7 cases up for grabs though....
2021 Domaine Jean Manciat Macon-Charnay 'Franclieu'
Gorgeous, no-oak Chardonnay from one of the masters of the region.
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Jean Manciat’s organically farmed vineyards can be toured on foot in just a few minutes. He farms his 5 hectares with great pride and passion, and it shows in his wines. While many of the Macon coops produce millions of bottles of insipid and uninspiring wines from their high yielding, machine harvested vineyards, Jean’s production stands in sharp contrast. He farms organically, his yields are low, he hand harvests and sorts all of his grapes, and he ferments with native yeasts. Translated, he cares about what his wine tastes like.
Like many of the wines that get me amped, this is a wine that is made in the vineyard. Like all great vignerons, Manciat does everything in his power to harvest ripe and healthy grapes. His old vines grow in limestone soils, and these rocky, well-drained soils stress the vines and yield flavor-packed grapes. From there, Manciat ferments in stainless steel with native yeasts to preserve purity and sense of place.
Here’s a Chardonnay that manages to balance richness and freshness in an effortless manner. It smells and tastes of crunchy apple, green pear, zesty citrus and fresh green herbs. The palate is zippy and invigorating, but it turns a bit richer on the finish with a flinty, mineralic complexity usually only found in much more expensive White Burgs.
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Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville