Mâcon-Pierreclos

Wine
Characteristics

With their pale gold color, Mâcon-Pierreclos whites are not exuberant wines. Rather, they gradually reveals aromas of nuts and dried fruit, combined with slightly more floral aromas suggesting beeswax. Ageing in wood brings roasted and well-integrated spicy notes. In the mouth, they create a sense of opulence, generated by a unique smoothness, while remaining balanced.

Just like the wines from neighboring Serrières, the reds of Pierreclos can be defined as “serious”. With a lovely intense ruby color, these Gamay first come across as slightly austere before aromas of fresh mushroom, licorice, and tobacco emerge. Some tasters note a tendency for these wines to resemble Pinot Noir to an extent, due to their complexity. Fairly tannic, they are quite closed in the mouth, but offer some fine keeping potential.

Wine
Steward’s Tip

White: for a perfect flavor combination given the liveliness of this wine on the tongue, opt for an appetizer like a creamy leek tart or risotto verrine. Then allow its acidulated structure to cut through the parsley butter of razor fish à la plancha, gratinated oysters, or snails in garlic butter.

Serving temperatures: 10-11°C as an aperitif, 11-12°C with food.

Red: with its aromatic opulence and fleshy mouth, this wine is a remarkable companion with more fibrous meat dishes such as duck ravioli or braised côte de boeuf, especially from the Charolais. For wine-marinated dishes, choose a hot year such as 2018, which will help soften the acidity of the sauce in a boeuf bourguignon or a snail meurette. To finish a meal, try a washed-rind cow’s milk cheese that’s not too old, or something drier like a Palet de Bourgogne or a Cendré de Vergy, to match the freshness of the Gamay.

Serving temperature: 14-15°C.

Situation

Where the Haut-Mâconnais meets the valley of the Petite Grosne heading east, the vineyards of Mâcon-Pierreclos are found on either side of the river. The western point of the “golden triangle” formed along with Bussières and Serrières, Pierreclos, meaning “closed stones”, bears witness to a history intimately linked with that of the château. Successive restorations mean that now, one can admire its multicolored glazed tiles with geometric motifs, recalling the splendor of the Bourgogne region under the dukes, who were talented in such ostentatious ornamentation.

Terroirs

Southwest of the village, the steep slopes facing the rising sun are home to vines at between 270 meters above sea level, and 425 meters above sea level. To the north of the village, the similarly steep hillsides of the Montagne de Cras, at 506 meters above sea level, are hot and south- or southwest-facing.

In this zone where sedimentary rock from the Secondary Era meets the crystalline bedrock from the Primary, some vines enjoy the acidity of granite, while others grow on heavy clay marl, and some on hard limestone.