Domaine Thévenet & Fils Mâcon-Villages Blanc 2023

Zesty notes of apple, pear, stone fruit, citrus, pineapple, kiwi, butter, cream and vanilla come through in the nose and on the palate in this 100% Chardonnay White Burgundy that seems made for summer.

Combining several parcels in Bussières with holdings in the north-facing Grandes Vignes vineyard in Milly, this steel-tank-raised effort is more exuberantly aromatic than the winemakers' longstanding core-wine Macon-Pierreclos Blanc, due in part to the presence of the Chardonnay-Muscaté among the constituent holdings. It nonetheless maintains a core of classicism, with plump Maconnais orchard fruits given definition through a subtle clench of minerality and more-than-adequate acidity.

Jean-Claude Thevenet took control of the family domaine in 1971 from his father Raymond; at this time their holdings were a mere three hectares. Over the decades, Jean-Claude built the domaine to its current size of thirty hectares with vineyards centered on their village of Pierreclos at the heart of the Maconnais. Wines of purity, honesty, fine value were the objective, and indeed, the wines consistently performed at a high level. Jean-Claude’s three sons (Benjamin, Jonathan and Aurélien) grew up dedicated to the family domaine. Jean-Claude passed away in 2008 at the too-young age of 54; but, his three talented and dedicated progeny, all functioning under the rigorous supervision of their mother Helene, have continued the domaine.