Nectar des Dieux. For about a thousand years between the 5th and 15th centuries, French monasteries were the center of the winemaking world. It was the monks, tasting the products of the rich Burgundian soils (and often the soils themselves), who first developed the idea of terroir.
In the south of Burgundy, winemaking culture centered around the Abbaye de Cluny. Cluny’s Abbey was once the wealthiest monastic organization in the Western world, and much of its wealth and fame came from the product of the local vineyards. Today’s wine comes from these vineyards, now in production for over 1100 years.
France profonde. Nicolas Maillet is a passionate young winemaker working in the heart of the Maconnais. His wines are as pure an expression of the Chardonnay grape as we know, with no oak to obscure the gorgeous fruit. They have the purity and clarity of fine Chablis, but the weight and roundness of a Côte d’Or Chardonnay.
Maillet’s winemaking style is hands-off — he allows his fermentations to proceed at their own pace, sometimes taking months longer than usual. He uses wild yeasts and avoids fining and filtering, choosing instead to preserve complexity and originality. Grown about five miles east of the famous Cluny Abbey, and made with little intervention, this is as traditional as white Burgundy gets.
The nose of the 2014 Maillet Macon Villages is exquisite: spring flowers and wild honey, with faint notes of dried straw and apricot. In the mouth it’s a typical Macon — rich and full with bright floral notes, beautiful acidity, and lots of depth. For white Burgundy fans, this is a remarkable value, offering far more complexity than the price tag suggests.
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MAILLET Macon-Villages 2014
Ansonia Retail: $26
case, half-case: $22/bot
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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS
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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657
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