Wish we had some 2015....

2022 Vignes du Maynes "Cuvee 910" and More!

Share

Pressing the Cuvée 910

The Cuvée 910 is back! This special cuvée is a commemoration of eleven hundred years of winemaking, the vineyards in the Clos des Vignes du Maynes having been planted around AD 900 and wine first produced for the Abbey of Cluny around 910. This "medieval" wine is a field blend of Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir, including the old varieties Gamay Petit Grain and Pinot Fin. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested then pressed by foot, vinified and aged without sulfur and bottled by hand in the spring.  The palate is light but loaded with ripe, pure berry fruit backed by citrusy acids. Zippy, refreshing and very gulpable, with subtle notes of hibiscus tea, and tart berries, beautifully perfumed and low in alcohol - in the true style of Jules Chauvet. The 2022 showed beautifully last winter before bottling - it may need some time to recover, and should gain complexity with time, perhaps three to five years or more.

Happily, small quantities from our June shipment remain available, total numbers are shown below.

Julien doing what he loves best...

"We use the most natural methods possible to vinify our wines: using natural yeasts, no sulphur, no enzymes and no chemical additives. The wooden vats are cleaned thoroughly beforehand, and they are scrubbed with marc de Bourgogne to stimulate the yeasts. During the harvest, which is all done by hand and placed in small containers, we sort the grapes meticulously in order not to damage them during their journey to the winery. For our red wines, we carry out a semi-carbonic maceration, using a very precise method that we have perfected over three generations. The basic principle is to create a multi-layered ‘cake’ built up of of alternate layers of whole clusters and destemmed grapes. The latter will produce the first juice, which will flow out, start fermenting, and thus activate the natural yeasts (with the sugars), which gives the body and smoothness that we are looking for in our wines. At the same time, because the vat is saturated with CO2, an intracellular fermentation also takes place, which brings the elegant floral aromas (rose and peony) that are typical of Pinot Noir. Then, after four or five days, we do a very light pumping over as well as a punching down of the cap to a depth of around twenty centimetres. The aim of this is to release the sugars and yeasts; that’s the starting signal for the fermentation, which we want to be long so that we can accompany it serenely. The white wines are matured in large vats in order to maintain their freshness and the CO2 level and to avoid having any oaky overtones, which we are not looking for in our wines."

Due to the very limited quantity of this wine, there is a 6 bottle maximum per customer for the Cuvee 910. Although the 910 is non-discountable, all other wines discount 10% on a mixed case!

The 910 will arrive approximately August 7th, fall shipping is advised.

Vignes du Maynes 2021 Vin de France Megamix

The 2021 "Megamix Volume 2" is a unique blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay and Muscat, grown in granite and limestone soils and aged one year in neutral barrels. It's light bodied with a vibrant ruby hue and really jumps out of the glass, with the Muscat contributing some interesting herbal and slightly floral aromatics mingling with punchy cherry and pomegranate fruit. It's lively and fresh with racy acidity and just a kiss of tannins, great with a chill and a perfect accompaniment to light snacks. This is a delicious summer red with some nerve - think less "chill lo-fi beats" and more "acid house electro-funk!" JD

  • red
  • 9 in stock
  • $29.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur

Vignes du Maynes 2020 Mâcon-Cruzille Les Chassagnes 1.5L

The Vignes du Mayne "Les Chassagnes" is from massale-slection Chardonnay.  The walled vineyard (clos) was abandoned around 1880 after the phylloxera epidemic,  replanted  in 2005. The virgin soil is rich with humus from the forest that had grown on it. The very thin layer of soil (15 to 30 cm) is clay-limestone. The colluvial deposits of clay loam covering a layer of very calcareous and siliceous weathered limestone give the wines their minerality. Yield 20 hl/ha / Organic and biodynamic farming. Harvested by hand with no sorting because it is unnecessary / 12 hours of crushing and skin maceration before pressing / Fermentation in 600L demi-muids using natural yeasts, no SO2 / Matured on lees for 11 months without racking / Bottled in September with or without SO2 depending on the batches.

  • white
  • 2 in stock
  • $129.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • Low Sulfur
Sorry, the Following have Already Sold

Vignes du Maynes (Julien Guillot) 2020 Bourgogne Les Crays

Julien Guillot's 2020 "les Crays" is 100% Pinot Noir from 40 year-old vines in this very chalky vineyard in the Macon, vinified with zero added sulfur. The color is an earthy red/black, with aromas of black cherry, red currant, earth, citrus peel and ginger, really complex and lovely. The palate is ripe and sapid, but earthy and bright as well, with lovely complexity of red and black fruits, soil and minerals. Pinot Noir with no sulfur, subtle, complex and delicious! Enjoy now, a bit cool, or cellar 5 to 10 years.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $34.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur

Vignes du Maynes 2019 Morgon Les Charmes

Starting with beautiful biodynamic grapes from Roland Pignard on "les Charmes" in Morgon, Julien worked his magic in the cellar with his zero-sulfur semi-carbonic vinification and the result is this superb Morgon from great terroir. The wine shows the ripeness of this excellent vintage in Beaujolais and the intense flavors of terroir always present in the Pignard wines over the years. Julien's vinification has created a beautifully balanced and pretty wine with fabulous length - drink now or cellar 5 to 10 years.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $31.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Vignes du Maynes 2021 Macon-Villages

Julien Guillot of the Clos des Vignes du Maynes, makes this lovely Mâcon-Villages (100% Chardonnay)  from certified organic parcels in Viré-Clessé, Chardonnay and Montbellet, on Bathonian limestone with clay, rich in silica. The 2021 is a fascinating  and very natural  Chardonnay, showing bright pale gold color and high-toned aromas of lemon zest, white peach, pear, almond and honeysuckle. The palate is dense and supple with vibrant white fruit, stone and almond flavors, finishing with citrus and minerals. This is a young wine that will benefit from aeration if drinking now, and will cellar for ten years. 30 mg/l  SO2.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $34.99

  • Organic
  • Low Sulfur

Vignes du Maynes 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé Cuvée Léandra (August arrival)

(Please note: Although the wine is in NY, due to a bureaucratic snafu  the Leandre will not be available until August, we apologize for the inconvenience) The 48 months of aging (one year in barrels then three years in enamelled vats) reveal notes of candied apricot, almond, brioche and create a powerful and long palate. A cuvée that deserves a few years in the cellar to let it express itself further.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $57.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur