2021 Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Véran La Fournaise

Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau is a small estate run by two talented winemakers, Frantz Chagnoleau and his wife Caroline Gon (winemaker at Héritiers du Comte Lafon). Frantz has a degree in oenology and gained his experience with Olivier Merlin in the Mâconnais. Caroline has two degrees in agricultural engineering and oenology; She worked at Newton Vineyards in Napa Valley before returning to France to work with Dominique Lafon as head winemaker for Héritiers du Comte Lafon. The relationship with Dominque as a friend and mentor has had a profound influence on the pair, evidenced by a lineup of pure, terroir-driven Mâconnais wines.

Since 2013, all vineyards are certified organic. Similar to Lafon, this dynamic duo believes in minimal intervention, including using only native yeast, as the best way to express the nuances of each unique terroir. Aging takes place in largely large, used French oak, harvesting is done entirely by hand, parcel by lot, allowing each vine to reach the correct balance of sugar and acidity before picking. This dynamic duo are one of the most talented teams in all of Burgundy, farming the old fashioned way and micro-batching single vineyard white Burgundy from some of the best Chardonnay terroirs in the world.

The Saint-Véran La Fournaise comes from white soils over limestone similar to Chablis. This 100% Chardonnay from a great height and steep vineyards in the village of Prissé. Fermented and matured in older Burgundy oak barrels (demi-muids) and has a beautifully defined bouquet with apple blossom, limestone and a slight salty influence. The taste is very well balanced with a very discreet reduction. with an excellent backbone with a touch of apricot towards the finish.

About Saint-Veran

Do not confuse the village of Saint-Vérand with the Saint-Véran appellation, even if the former gave the latter its name. Today, the appellation consists of not just one, but eight villages, which together contain 703 hectares (1,737 acres) of vines. Saint-Véran is located in the Maconnaise region of Burgundy and is slightly smaller and less well known than neighboring Pouilly-Fuissé. As in the rest of the region, Chardonnay is the primary grape. The wines are consistently high quality with the added benefit of a reasonable price tag. Flint, nuts and citrus fruits (mainly orange) are the most striking and typical aromas and flavors for the beautiful chardonnays from Saint-Véran