From the southeast slope near Azé to the connection with the Devillards
Domaine de la Garenne is located on the hills of Azé, a small village in the northern Mâconnais, in the south of Burgundy. The vines stand on a southeast slope, about two leagues from Cluny. Benedictine monks grew Chardonnay there in the Middle Ages. The grape variety bears the name of a neighboring village.
In 2008, the Beaumont family took over the estate. Through the marriage of Pauline Beaumont and Amaury Devillard, it joined forces with the Devillard winemaking family from Mercurey. The Devillards manage, among others, the Château de Chamirey. Today, the Domaine is advised by Enrico Peyron, technical consultant for Domaines Devillard. The wines are tasted in the tasting cellar of Château de Chamirey in Mercurey.
Hand-picking, limestone terrace and aging on the fine lees
The vines grow exclusively on Chardonnay and stand on limestone soils. The Mâcon-Azé plot was planted in 1986 at the highest location in the municipality. It benefits from plenty of sun. The viticulture is raisonné, i.e., oriented to the needs of the vine.
The grapes are hand-picked and sorted. After pneumatic pressing, the must settles cool overnight. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in stainless steel tanks. For the Mâcon-Azé, the wine matures predominantly in steel, in individual vintages on the fine lees, and in younger vintages to a small extent also in wooden barrels. The Pouilly-Fuissé is aged differently. It comes from the La Ruère and Le Moule plots, with Le Moule being a Premier Cru. Fermentation and maturation take place there for ten months in barriques, 30% of which are new, followed by two months in steel tanks.
Mâcon-Azé, Bussières, Pouilly-Fuissé: Chardonnay with freshness and limestone
The range consists exclusively of white wine. The appellations are Mâcon-Azé, Mâcon-Bussières, Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly and Pouilly-Fuissé. The style focuses on fruit and balance. The Mâcon-Azé shows citrus, yellow fruits and white flowers such as hawthorn or lily of the valley. On the palate, it appears fresh, with fine acidity and a salty-mineral finish that comes from the limestone soil. The Pouilly-Fuissé brings lemon, peach and pear, plus the texture of the wood aging.
You should drink the Mâcon-Azé best at 11 to 13 °C. It goes well with poultry in sauce, seafood, grilled fish or salmon in cream sauce. A glass as an aperitif also works well.
