“From the gentle slopes in the north to the majestic rocks in the south”.
The Maconnais is the southernmost terroir of Burgundy and the vineyard extends over a length of 35 km between Sennecy-le-Grand and Saint-Verand. The area is 10 km wide and bordered by 2 rivers; in the West the Grosne and in the East the Saone. Here you will discover a wine landscape with 2 faces; southeast of Tournus you have a succession of wooded hills and small valleys ideal for wine growing. More to the south, the hills give way to monumental rocks such as those of Vergisson and Solutré. Here the poles are at the foot of the steep slopes where there is enough sun.
More than elsewhere in Burgundy, the monks have played a decisive role here. Founded in 909 by Guillaume the 1st, Count of Macon, Cluny Abbey honored the Benedictine principle of “ora et labora” (prayer and work), which prompted the monks to plant their own vineyard. In part due to the wealth of this abbey, with mainly vineyards in the south of Burgundy, that of Citaeux was founded in 1098 with mainly vineyards in the north, including the famous Romanée-Saint-Vivant.
In the Maconnais, the Chardonnay is omnipresent with a planting rate of 80%. For the red wines, mainly Gamay and a little Pinot Noir have been planted. The municipal appellations in this region are by far the most interesting with names such as Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Loché, Viré-Clessé and Saint-Véran. For the latter it is nice to know that unlike the village, the wine is spelled without the letter d from behind. An additional fact is that in the mid-eighties in the village of Davayé I got the wine bug in this area.