Wine Advisor
Guffens Heynen, Macon Pierreclos Juliette et les Vieilles de Chavigne 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
I hadn't drunk the brilliant 2016 Mâcon-Pierreclos Juliette et les Vieilles de Chavigne, the inaugural vintage of this ne plus ultra cuvée from Guffens's holdings in Chavigne, for several years, so I was delighted to find that it is beginning to hit its stride. Offering up aromas of pear, ripe citrus fruit, sourdough, dried white flowers and iodine, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, its textural attack segueing into a layered, intensely concentrated and pungently mineral palate, concluding with a long, saline finish. As well as it begins to drink today, it will certainly be better still in a decade.
About the Producer
Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen is renowned as a Chardonnay master, who has played a crucial role in enhancing the reputation of Mâconnais wines. Through the success of his small Vergisson domain, this region has become a notable destination for wine lovers. In the 1970s, Jean-Marie and his wife Maine made the bold decision to leave their native Flanders. Within three years, they became the owners of several plots on the slopes of Pierreclos. Today, their vineyard spans 5.3 hectares across the hillsides of Pierreclos, Vergisson, and Davayé. The vines are treated with natural methods, without any chemicals, and grapes are hand-harvested only when they reach optimal maturity, sometimes in several stages. In the cellar, the grapes are gently pressed and left to ferment naturally with native yeast. The wine is then aged on the lees and never filtered. This simple, natural approach has earned Guffens-Heynen's wines a solid reputation for their purity, precision, generosity, tension, and minerality. They have become highly sought-after, but difficult to procure due to the low production quantities. Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen's colorful personality is well-known not only in the Mâconnais but also as the owner of Domaine des Tourettes in the Lubéron (since 1997) and Château Closiot in Sauternes (since 2017). Domaine Guffens-Heynen has established itself as the ultimate reference in the Mâconnais, and Jean-Marie's talents in the vineyard are universally acknowledged. His mastery of Chardonnay has given new life to this region. Highly respected by his peers, praised by critics, and fervently sought-after by wine enthusiasts, Jean-Marie's wines have long stood out for their quality.
