Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-Le-National

The vineyards of Bourgogne produce some great wines with a historical and international reputation. However, the region is not simply limited to its iconic appellations. In addition to its Village Premier Cru and Grand Cru AOCs, it also produces a range of wonderful Régionale and Village appellations to explore.


You will also find a full list of the Bourgogne’s Climats and lieux-dits on this page.


Check out the complete list of the 84 Bourgogne appellations.

However, your exploration has only just begun. Bourgogne wines have never before offered such high quality. Besides our range of internationally celebrated wines, try some of our lesser-known appellations where there are lots of surprises in store.

And for a fun way to find out more about the wines on offer, try out our “Which Bourgogne wine is right for me?” quiz, or check out Bourgogne Maps to take an interactive tour of the region.

  • Category

    Regional Appellation

  • Wine-producing region

    VIGNOBLE DU MÂCONNAIS

  • Creation of the appellation

    31 juillet 1937

  • Colour

    White: Chardonnay
    Red and rosé: Gamay

  • Area under vine:
    White: 2 hectares
    Red and rosé: 6 hectares

    Note: Average over three years 2016-2018

     

  • An additional geographical denomination that is part of the Régionale Mâcon appellation in the Mâconnais. According to the 2005 specifications rules, the name Mâcon followed by Saint-Gengoux-le-National refers to white, red, and rosé wines grown within a defined area in the villages of Ameugny, Bissy-sous-Uxelles, Bonnay, Bresse-sur-Grosne, Burnand, Champagny-sous-Uxelles, Chapaize, Cortevaix, Curtil-sous-Burnand, Lournand, Malay, Massy, Saint-Gengoux-le-National, Saint-Ythaire, Salornay-sur-Guye, Savigny-sur-Grosne, Sigy-le-Châtel, and La Vineuse.

Wine Characteristics - Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-Le-National

Wine
Characteristics

With a lovely matte yellow gold color, the whites have a very aromatic nose marked by hints of almond and yellow-fleshed fruit like apricot and peach, combined with a slightly honeyed floral palette that comes with time. They offer good volume in the mouth with a fattiness making it smooth and supple.


A light and dazzling ruby red color, these reds open on notes of pomegranate and redcurrant jelly, giving them an indulgent fruitiness. Aeration releases a warm spiciness with hints of cinnamon and white pepper and touches of animal muskiness. In the mouth, the tannins are present yet smooth, giving a sense of indulgence. 

Wine Steward’s Tip - Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-Le-National

Wine
Steward’s Tip

White: With its sunny aromatic character and smoothness on the tongue, this wine makes a natural pairing with all kinds of goat cheeses, such as the traditional AOC Mâconnais or its neighboring Charolais for a terroir-themed aperitif. Follow with grilled chicken supremes or mixed fried river fish. This white wine will also bring out the best in local freshwater fish dishes, such as carp with white wine, or pochouse from Verdun-sur-le-Doubs.
Serving temperatures: 10-11°C as an aperitif, 11-12°C with food


Red: Try serving this red slightly chilled at a chic brunch, with a traditional mâchon bourguignon selection of local cold cuts, cheeses, and fruit tarts. Its spicy nose and fleshy structure will perfectly suit a bacon-filled brioche from the Morvan with some salad from the garden. It will also make a great match with a summer-fruit salad of gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, and raspberries, served with sponge fingers.
Serving temperature: 12-14°C

Situation - Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-Le-National

Situation

Beyond the forest of Chapaize and the valley of the Grison, a tributary of the Grosne, the vines of Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-le-National are located at the extreme northwesterly tip of the Mâconnais. They act as the transition to the Côte Chalonnaise, growing on the first foothills.


Despite being temporarily called Jouvence during the Revolution, due to the presence of numerous fountains, it was the vines that ensured the prosperity of Saint-Gengoux-le-Royal, renamed Saint-Gengoux-le-National by the Republicans in 1882.

In the early 12th century, the monks of Cluny established a deanery around the church dedicated to Saint Gengoux, which became the center of a farming operation that mainly produced wine. Wandering through this medieval town that was fortified by King Louis VII at the end of the 12th century, the names of the streets and the presence of a barrel-making museum bear witness to a great deal of artisanal and commercial activity.

Similarly, there are reminders around all the villages in the appellation of the presence of Cluniac activity, an historic driver of winegrowing: In La Grange de Sercy, the Priory of Saint Hippolyte, the Clos de Montrachet, and the Grange de Hautecour in Sigy. 

Terroirs - Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-Le-National

Terroirs

The vines of Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-le-National are scattered between the hills of Cluny and the foothills of the Côte Chalonnaise, at 250 meters above sea level, looking down over the pastures and diverse crops in the valley of the Grosne river at 197 meters above sea level. The riverbanks enjoy a temperate climate with a slightly continental tendency, where the rainfall generated by the oceanic air masses coming from the west averages around 850mm annually.


The topography here is unique for the Mâconnais, and in geological terms, there are two key terroirs. The hills of Roch, Goubot, and Péjus mark the boundaries of the Saint-Gengoux AOC and provide ideal south-southeastern-facing winegrowing terrain on their limestone hillsides. This type of substrate can also be found on the hillocks around Cluny, which emerge from recent alluvial deposits from the bed of the Grosne, towards Bissy-sous-Uxelles and in the region of Charnay-lès-Mâcon. To the southwest, the vines face west or east and grow more episodically on Liasotriasic limestone clay marl that dates back 220 million years.

 

 

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