Discovering the Mâconnais (12) Les Vignerons de Mancey
Website: https://www.lesvigneronsdemancey.fr/en/
Les Vignerons de Mancey is, as the name suggests, a cooperative cellar. But it’s a small cooperative, around one-tenth the size of a the larger ones in the region, with an interesting business model. They blend different plots for the Mancey wines, but also make a range of wines from single producers (cooperateurs).
They have about 60 growers, and 130 hectares of vines (this changes quite a bit because some come and some go). This means they can make the wines by domaine, because it is complicated at harvest time if you are making huge quantities to keep people’s grapes separate.
Production is 500 000 bottles a year, plus 60 000 bottles of Crémant. Some wine is sold to negociants but this is a small amount, and depends on the year.
We met with Francois Chapuis, who is a winemaker here, and who also has 15 hectares that he farms organically. One of his specialities is Aligoté. He uses cordon royat for his Aligoté which results in smaller bunches: Guyot pruning gives big bunches that are harvested later. He thinks a lot of people wait too long to harvest the aligoté so they lose freshness in the grapes
Francois has planted a plot next to the abbey en foule sur echalas with eight varieties, including Syrah. He uses tressage rather than trimming, and 2023 was the first vintage yielding 800 kg which they blended together. The vines look amazing!
THE WINES
Les Vignerons de Mancey Bourgogne Aligoté 2022
11.5% alcohol. Linear and bright, but with some sweet pear and citrus fruit, showing nice weight and depth. Midweight, with this lovely mineral twist on the finish. Stony. 88/100
Domaine Dupré Bourgogne Aligoté 2022
Organic. Stainless steel. Nice intensity here with a lovely stony intensity. Has nice intensity with a transparency to the mineral-laced, stony lemony fruit with a lively finish that just keeps on going. Tingly and intense on the finish. 91/100
François Chapuis Bourgogne Aligote En Marigny 2022
12% alcohol. Nice texture here. Starts of simple and fruity then develops a mineral, stony edge to the lively pear and citrus fruit with nice transparency and weight. Slightly salty on the finish. 89/100
François Chapuis Mâcon-Villages 2020
This is quite mineral, but there’s some nice sweet pear and citrus fruit with good texture and a fine spicy finish. Smooth and broad, but has good definition. 90/100
François Chapuis Mâcon-Mancey 2021
Lively and intense with lovely precision and weight, showing some nice lemony acidity, but also notes of almond, pear and green apple, with nice intensity and freshness. Finishes bright and mineral. Such focus here. 91/100
Frédéric Touzot Mâcon-Cruzille 2022
Nice weight to this with some plump pear and white peach fruit, and a soft mid-palate. Nice grainy detail on the finish with some lemony acidity integrating well with the ripe, rounded fruit. 89/100
Mancey Les Essentielles de Mancey Mâcon-Mancey 2022
Old vines over 60 years old. Nicely textured with some ripe pear and citrus fruit. Rounded and pure with nice sweetness to the fruit, which flows smoothly across the palate. Has nice texture and intensity. 89/100
Mancey Abbatia Mâcon-Mancey 2022
Old vines aged in barrel, 20% new oak. Some spicy, nutty oak here with nice bright citrus and pear fruit. Quite angular with good intensity. 87/100
Domaine Dupré Mâcon Rosé 2022
Pale in colour. Gamay. Soft and textured with a subtle spicy edge to the pear fruit. Dry with a nice smooth midpalate. 86/100
Mancey Matescense Mâcon Rosé 2022
Gamay. Bright, juicy and vivid with some raspberry and cherry as well as citrus fruit. Attractive and bright. 87/100
François Chapuis Mâcon-Mancey Rouge 2021
Gamay from older vines. Normally he uses some whole cluster but in 2021 this was 100% destemmed. Matured in tank. Lovely intensity here. Bright cherry and raspberry fruit with a touch of beetroot and nice acidity, as well as some pepper spice. Nicely structured, too, with intensity and grip. Real potential for development. 93/100
Mancey Mâcon-Mancey Abbatia 2022
This is Gamay with some barrel. Nice intensity here with bright cherry and raspberry fruit, as well as a touch of spicy, woody savouriness. Lovely juicy, tart finish with nice acidity. 89/100
Bernard Moreau Mâcon-Mancey 2022
Very bright, fruity and lively with raspberry and cherry fruit with a tart finish showing juicy, linear cranberry and spice. It’s very mineral and bright. A lovely vivid expression of Gamay. 90/100
Mancey Essentielles de Mancey Rouge 2021
This is Gamay from old vineyards. Open and bright with a stony, savoury edge to the juicy, slightly sappy cherry and berry fruits. Has nice acidity, and comes across very fresh, but with some depth. 88/100
François Chapuis Bourgogne Pinot Noir Les Confréries 2021
This is lighter in style, but has nice flavour, from young vines in a tricky vintage (yield 15 hl/ha this year). There’s some lovely savouriness with a mineral, herbal twist to the supple red fruits, a hint of green and then some iodine and fine spices. Really lovely. 93/100
Marion Navoiseau Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022
In conversion to organics. Matured in barrel. Vibrant and juicy with vibrant, fresh cherry and plum fruit, with some raspberry crunch. Has a nice sour cherry twist on the finish. Vibrant with the emphasis on the fruit. Good tannins. 90/100
Mancey Les Essentielles de Mancey Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021
Some softness and a touch of oxidative development with some savoury spiciness to the cherry and strawberry fruit. 84/100
Mancey Abbatia Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022
Quite a bit of savoury, spicy oak in the mix here. It’s firm and angular, but there’s some nice fruit. Maybe give this time? 85/100
François Chapuis Crémant de Bourgogne Extra Brut 2020
20% Gamay, 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. Bright, lively and fruity with cherry and lemon fruit, showing some fine toasty hints and a bit of grip. Nice acid line counters the sweet fruit really well. Lovely weight here. 91/100
THE MÂCONNAIS
