2017 Domaine des Granges Macon-Villages

The secret to this bottle?

The Macon-Villages appellation comes from the heart of Pouilly-Fuisse, just vineyards that are of a higher elevation, so they cannot be classified as Pouilly-Fuisse. In the past this was a solid and well founded distinction – the wines of Macon-Villages would struggle to ripen, producing great wine only in exceptional vintages. Well, enter global warming and now the Macon ripens to the same level of Pouilly Fuisse, some even claiming that the resulting wines are more balanced.

Yannick Paquet, the grandson now in charge of Domaine des Granges, practices what his grandfather preached—that the best of the best in Pouilly can compete equally and successfully with Grand Cru Cote d’Or Burgundy. Yannick is painstakingly conscientious in the vineyard so he can bring in fully ripe, spotless grapes. Nothing goes into the vat that he wouldn’t personally eat. His rigorous standards continue in the cellar, where only the absolute top cuvees get into this bottle. And it shows in this wine:

The 2017 vintage is an elegant wine with all the power and minerality of a fantastic white Burgundy. It breathes with aromas of pear, white peaches and acacia flowers. These are joined by subtle notes of honey, apricot and grapefruit.  On the palate, flavors of peaches, fresh almond, hazelnut, quince and toast evolve with the swirling of the glass. There is density, complexity, hints of dried fruits and honeycomb that layer in with its rich and succulent finish. 2017 is a hallmark vintage for Burgundy, and with the coming of the tariffs on French wine, you should definitely load up.

I love white Burgundy, and yet even I have a budget. We scored this gem pre-tariff at an amazing price. Snap it up while you can!