Exploring Burgundy's Depths: A Flavor Quest with Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau
Are you searching for exceptional wines that capture the essence of Burgundy? Look no further than Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau, located in the Maconnais region of France. Often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors like Côte d'Or, Maconnais is a hidden gem for wine lovers, especially those who appreciate elegant Chardonnay.
This southern Burgundy region features diverse soil types—clay, limestone, and marl—that enhance the quality of its wines. Unique microclimates, influenced by varying elevations and the nearby Saône River, allow winemakers to produce grapes with balanced acidity and rich flavors. While primarily known for Chardonnay, Mâconnais also grows Pinot Noir and Gamay, with Chardonnays showcasing mineral-driven profiles and vibrant fruit.
Maconnais wines offer exceptional quality at accessible prices✨, making them ideal for those eager to explore high-caliber Burgundy. A new generation of winemakers, like Frantz and Caroline, is elevating the region's reputation.
Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau is an up-and-coming star in the Maconnais, founded by the talented husband-and-wife team of Frantz Chagnoleau and Caroline Gon. Their journey began in 2009 with a modest 3.5 hectares in the Saint-Véran appellation, and today they have expanded to 6.8 hectares, including prized plots in Pouilly-Fuissé and Viré-Clessé.
Frantz brings a wealth of experience from his time under renowned winemakers Anne-Claude Leflaive and Olivier Merlin, while Caroline, formerly head winemaker at Héritiers du Comte Lafon, adds her impressive expertise to the mix. Together, they are dedicated to crafting wines that authentically reflect the unique characteristics of their vineyards. Their commitment to showcasing the region's potential is evident in their organic practices, enhancing wine quality while honoring the land. They also embrace traditional methods, such as manual harvesting, ensuring every grape is treated with care.
Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau expresses the distinct terroirs of Maconnais through a careful and nuanced winemaking approach. For instance, the Macon Villages Clos Saint Pancras showcases the lively fruit character typical of the region, influenced by the clay-limestone soils that enhance its minerality. In the Saint-Véran Prélude, crafted from 50-year-old vines, Frantz captures an elegant balance of fruit and minerality, reflecting the cooler climate and higher altitude that help retain acidity and promote freshness.
The Saint-Véran À la Côte highlights diverse soils that enhance its structure and ageability. Sourced from a 400m high-altitude Chasselas vineyard with iron-rich red soil, it achieves a balance of high pH and good acidity, resulting in a broad and expressive wine. Meanwhile, Saint-Véran Les Montchanins offers rich flavors and vibrant acidity, thanks to its unique microclimate. This vineyard, situated on light clay-limestone soils over Jurassic limestone, features steep hillsides that ensure good drainage and full sun exposure, facilitating slow grape ripening.
The Viré-Clessé Les Raspilleres reflects the slightly warmer conditions of its steep, limestone-rich site that benefits from perfect exposure to the Levant sun from the east, leading to riper fruit profiles with good intensity and fine minerality, along with maritime notes. In the Saint-Véran La Roche, the taste derives from its calcareous, iron-rich soil and high-altitude terroir. This results in vibrant minerality, ripe stone fruit flavors like peach, and refreshing citrus notes, all balanced by crisp acidity. Aging adds creaminess and subtle nuttiness, culminating in an elegant, complex wine. Lastly, the Pouilly-Fuissé Madrigal embodies the richness typical of the appellation. This wine displays great acidity and tension, hallmarks of the region. With aging, it will offer a more nuanced and rewarding tasting experience.
With each bottle, Frantz and Caroline invite wine lovers to explore the depth and complexity of their beautiful terroirs, making their wines a must-try for anyone seeking genuine expressions of Burgundy.
SPECIAL OFFER:
ENJOY 12% OFF DISCOUNT ON ALL wines by Domaine fRANTZ cHAGNOLEAU
Promotion period: until Sep 18, 2024
1/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Macon Villages Clos Saint Pancras 2020 - Bt | RP89
(12% Off) HK$185 ▷ HK$163
From certified organic vineyards and bottled under screw cap, the 2020 Mâcon-Villages Clos Saint-Pancras exhibits aromas of white flowers, citrus oil and a deft touch of reduction, followed by a medium-bodied, satiny and vibrant palate. This bright and racy wine is already drinking well.
-89, William Kelly, September 2022 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, September 2022
2/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran Prelude 2022 - Bt | NM90
(12% Off) HK$245 ▷ HK$216
The 2022 Saint Véran Prélude is a blend of four warmer south-facing parcels, 60% in Prissé and 40% in Chasselas, matured for 12 months, 50% in stainless steel and 50% in demi-muids. This has just gone into its shell a little since I tasted it last year, light touches of white peach and hints of chalk. The palate is very well balanced. There is density here rather than fatness thanks to the acidity, lively at the moment, just a patina of wood to be absorbed on the finish, so afford this 8-10 months in bottle.
-90, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2024
3/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran Prelude 2019 - Bt | NM90
(12% Off) HK$245 ▷ HK$216
The 2019 Saint-Véran "Prélude" has a simple, straightforward, quite malic bouquet that on this occasion is outclassed by the Viré-Clessé. The palate is well balanced with peach, grapefruit and apricot notes on the entry, an underlying stem ginger thread that becomes more prominent towards the finish. I suspect that the aromatics will gain complexity with bottle age, so afford it 18-24 months in bottle.
-90, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, January 2021
4/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran A la Cote 2022 - Bt | NM93
(12% Off) HK$305 ▷ HK$268
The 2022 Saint Véran à la Côte comes from a parcel located at 400m that tends to ripen slowly, aged for 12 months in demi-muids and barrels. This offers light brushes of quince and Clementine, a hint of wild honey but that remains in the background. The palate is beautifully balanced with a perfect line of acidity, quite a phenolic Saint-Véran, a touch more peppery than I remember this from barrel with a very persistent finish. Absolutely delicious.
-93, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2024
5/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran Les Montchanins 2022 - Bt | NM92-94
(12% Off) HK$305 ▷ HK$268
The 2022 Saint-Véran Les Montchanins comes from clayey soils that produce wines with good acidity and is habitually one of the first to be picked at the end of August on the 24th. Matured in demi-muids (Stockinger and Rousseau), it has a complex bouquet with yellow plum, jasmine and lemon thyme. Wonderful delineation. The palate is smooth and beautifully balanced. The acidity imparts fabulous tension, harmonious with a touch of stem ginger toward its persistent finish. Outstanding.
-92-94, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2023
6/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran Les Montchanins 2022 - Mag | NM92-94
(12% Off) HK$735 ▷ HK$647
The 2022 Saint-Véran Les Montchanins comes from clayey soils that produce wines with good acidity and is habitually one of the first to be picked at the end of August on the 24th. Matured in demi-muids (Stockinger and Rousseau), it has a complex bouquet with yellow plum, jasmine and lemon thyme. Wonderful delineation. The palate is smooth and beautifully balanced. The acidity imparts fabulous tension, harmonious with a touch of stem ginger toward its persistent finish. Outstanding.
-92-94, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2023
7/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Vire-Clesse Les Raspilleres 2022 - Bt | NM92
(12% Off) HK$305 ▷ HK$268
The 2022 Viré-Clessé Les Raspillères comes from more limestone soils for the appellation, aged in demi-muids (500-litres) for 12 months with a couple of months in vat. This has wonderful purity on the nose, yellow fruit, a touch of peach skin, but more white fruit emerge with time in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with sour lemon and orange rind on the entry, good extract and weight with another sapid finish that urges you back for more. Superb.
-92, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2024
8/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Saint-Veran La Roche 2022 - Bt | NM93
(12% Off) HK$325 ▷ HK$286
From grey and blue marn soils, the 2022 Saint Véran La Roche comes from a vineyard prone to millerandage, raised for 12 months in barrel and 3 months in stainless steel. This demands a little more coaxing from the glass, touches of peach skin, candle wax, lemon thyme and Vervane. Complex. The palate is lively on the entry with ample weight, a little more heft than the La Côte cuvée with a slight nuttiness on the aftertaste. Superb.
-93, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2024
9/ Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Pouilly-Fuisse Madrigal 2022 - Bt | NM93+
(12% Off) HK$390 ▷ HK$343
The 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Madrigal is a selection of barrels from the best parcels that show more austerity and reduction since this cuvée his designed to be aged in bottle. It also has a longer elevage of 16 to 18 months, the first 12 months in barrel. Deeper yellow fruit on the nose, nectarine and a touch of wild peach, a little dried honey and lanolin that comes through with aeration. The palate has superb density, fine grip, almost Meursault-like with the 20% new oak binding the finish together. Give this 18-24 months in bottle before broaching. Great promise.
-93+, Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2024
Promotion period: until Sep 18, 2024
In stock now, and offered subject to final confirmation and remaining unsold. E. & O. E.
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