The 2016 Domaine Talmard Macon-Chardonnay really took me by surprise when I tasted it recently. I go way back with this wine, as I sold it for years before I opened the store, but I never remember it being this good.
It was always solid, but the 2016 is exceptional. And yes, it is Chardonnay, but it’s also from the village of Chardonnay in Burgundy’s Maconnais region. Fermented entirely in stainless steel, it balances plush and ripe fruit with zesty acidity. The net result is marvelous White Burgundy for less than $20.
2016 Domaine Talmard Macon-Chardonnay
89 points Vinous Media
This vintage is sold out. Click here to order the current release in our online store.
Domaine Talmard was founded in 1971 by brothers Paul and Philibert Talmard. Originally comprised of 100 acres overlapping the communes of Uchizy and Chardonnay, two of the top villages within the Maconnais, the brothers originally sold wine to the local co-op.
Beginning in 1978, they began to domaine bottle and export their own wines. In 2000, the brothers divided their holdings, and shortly thereafter, Philibert and his son Gerald built a new cellar next to the original one. Today, Gerald Talmard farms 50 acres within the commune of Chardonnay, thought to be the geographical origin of the grape variety. To preserve freshness and purity, Gerald ferments and ages on the lees entirely in stainless steel.
The estate’s 2016 is the essence of pure, crystalline, varietal Chardonnay, un-marked by any oak, exhibiting all the subtle minerality and invigorating acidity that makes these wines such perfect partners with cuisines of all sorts. The wine is now bottled with a Stelvin closure to protect and enhance its freshness and character.
Stephen Tanzer of Vinous Media said, “This superb Chardonnay value, actually from the village of Chardonnay, offers a high-pitched perfume of pineapple, lemon drop, flowers and minerals. It’s plush, ripe and easygoing but its firm underpinning of citrus fruits and minerals gives it a light touch and excellent juicy lift.”
This vintage is sold out. Click here to order the current release in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville