2016 Domaine Des Valanges Macon - Prisse "Le Clos"

The commune of Davayé is located in the southern part of Burgundy, in the heart of the Mâcon wine country near Cluny and west of Mâcon.  This small winegrowing village is nestled at the foot of the Roche de Solutré and the Roche de Vergisson.

The beautiful view of steep slopes from Les Valanges is like a picture post card of the Mâcon region.

Domaine Valanges was created in 1980.  At the time, all the vineyards were in the commune of Davayé, and totalled 2.5 hectares.  For the last 30+ years they have worked tirelessly to expand the estate.  In addition to this they have also built a new facility where the wine is made, stored, and prepared for shipment, which also houses a barrel cellar.

Little by little, they acquired several plots with just the right terroir, and the vineyards now cover 11 hectares in Davayé, of which 8 are entitled to the Saint Véran appellation.

The family has always been passionately attached to this land, faithful to the terroir, and committed to making unique wines from the limestone soil.

Their 11 hectares of vines are located halfway up the slope in climats, or vineyard sites, that are among the best in the Mâcon region.

Sun exposure is south by south-east and the soil in all instances clay-limestone (mostly limestone).  Most of the vines grow at an altitude of 200-300 metres.

This terroir is wonderful for Chardonnay, producing very expressive, mineral, floral wines with a great deal of fruit.

Domaine des Valanges has always tended my vines in a spirit of respect for the environment, and in view of making fine wine.

The focus here is on traditional methods that reflect the terroir in order to produce wines of character.  Furthermore, they feel it is important to let the vines find a natural equilibrium within their ecosystem. Therefore they intervene as little as possible in both viticulture and winemaking to retain each cuvée’s personality, as well as vintage character.

They decided to introduce supervised pest control based on observation, reflection, respect for the terroir and environmental protection.  They also do their utmost to obtain the best from each vine, also thinking about keeping the soil healthy and alive by ploughing and adding organic fertilizer only as necessary.

The quintessence of Chardonnay, the Domaine Valanges wines reflect differences in soil, sun exposure, microclimate, etc. in the various vineyard plots from which they are produced.  It is still fun for Mathieu and Camille Paquet, the sons of Michel Paquetto to study the unique personality of each plot and each terroir. After spending many years acquiring an intimate knowledge of the domaine, blending wines with different characteristics, and experimenting with several winemaking methods, they have learned a fundamental lesson: there is no such thing as luck when it comes to making great wine, or a successful blend. Straightforward, well-focused, mineral, and expressive wines can only result from a harmonious marriage between wine from different plots.