Organic. The older citizens of Chardonnay near Tournus will tell you that their village provided the name for the famous Burgundy variety. What is certain is that the word “Chardonnay” comes from the Latin “cardus,” which means “thistle”—spikey plants that grow particularly well on limestone soils!  The Les Crays terroir lies in the hamlet of Champvent, and the name itself, from the French for chalk (craie), gives you a clue to the nature of the soils, where white limestone rocks lay scattered throughout the clay strata. Jean-Philippe Bret tells us it is not easy to source organic vineyards in his area; he struck gold with this 0.4-hectare parcel of 30- to 40-year-old vines. 

Biodynamic. The Bret Brothers recently purchased the excellent Prissé climat in partnership with Dominique Lafon. The 40-year-old vines face due east in a sheltered spot just below a small forest shadowed by the Roche de Vergisson. The vines here were recently certified biodynamic and were organically farmed by the previous owners. It’s not hard to see why the brothers are so effusive about this patch of dirt (also home to 0.3 hectares of old-vine Aligoté). It’s a large plot of two hectares, with the rows running down a slope, so the grapes ripen in stages and must be picked in successive passes. That said, a good portion of the fruit goes to the Brets’ two experimental cuvées, Ovoïde and Carbonnode (nothing to do with our Sophie)! It fermented and aged in barrel for a year and was transferred to tank before the next harvest. The vineyard’s propensity to deliver balance between density and vibrancy is beautifully rendered.

Biodynamic. This wine grows in one of Mâcon’s very best sites. Les Quarts is sectioned into four lieux-dits (or historical place names): Haut, Bas, Le Clochetonand Les Quarts Touches. This is a blend of those parcels which do not make it into La Soufrandière’s Les Quarts cuvée. The vines, aged 35 to 50 years old, are a touch younger than those for the Les Quarts bottling, and this also includes a small parcel of Au Bourgeois just in front of Les Bouchardières.

Planted at 230 metres on classic Bajocian clay and Jurassic limestone, this beautiful slope has been certified biodynamic since 2006. The 2023 was vinified mainly in old barriques. The domaine uses no new oak, by the way, with the barrels in the cellar having an average age of 10 to 12 years. Along with ex-Leflaive and Lafon barrels, the Bret brothers also bought used 300-litre casks from Olivier Lamy.

This wine has always been touching 1er Cru quality, so it’s no surprise that Jean-Phillipe believes Les Quarts will likely become a certified 1er Cru from the 2024 vintage (even if this cuvée will not be labelled 1er Cru). Expect drive, satiny depth and length of flavour with beautiful, tonic freshness running throughout.

Biodynamic. This wine grows on one of Mâcon’s very best sites. Les Quarts is sectioned into four lieux-dits (or historical place names): Haut, Bas, Le Clocheton and Les Quarts Touches. This is a blend of those parcels which do not make it into La Soufrandière’s Les Quarts cuvée. The vines, aged 35 to 50 years, are a touch younger than those for the Les Quarts bottling. This also includes a small parcel of Au Bourgeois just in front of Les Bouchardières.

Planted at 230 metres on classic Bajocian clay and Jurassic limestone, this beautiful slope has been certified biodynamic since 2006. The 2023 was vinified mainly in old barriques. The Domaine uses no new oak, by the way, with the barrels in the cellar averaging 10 to 12 years old. Along with ex-Leflaive and Lafon barrels, the Bret brothers also use 300-litre seasoned casks from Olivier Lamy.

Pure class, this wine has always glanced 1er Cru quality and it’s no surprise that Les Quarts will become a certified 1er Cru from the 2024 vintage (even if this cuvée will not be labelled 1er Cru). Expect drive, satiny depth and length of flavour with La Soufrandière’s beautiful, tonic freshness running throughout. A bona fide star of the Mâconnais.

Biodynamic. This steep vineyard is the cradle of the Soufrandière Estate and one of Mâcon’s most significant sites. Ploughed mostly by horse and farmed biodynamically since 2001, it produces the Bret brothers’ most profound wines. The Bajocian-era limestone soils are high in calcium carbonate and quartz, and rich in iron (giving the rock an ochre tint). There is also some granitic influence. Most of the vineyard sits on soil only 20 to 30cm deep before the roots hit the mother rock. In some sections, the topsoil can be scraped aside by hand to reveal the bare limestone. When matched with the appropriate viticulture, this results in wines with the mineral clout to cut through even the ripest, juiciest fruit.

What we love about this wine is that it’s so proudly Mâconnais—with layers of textured, voluminous fruit—yet it is also incredibly precise, with the poise, length and mineral freshness of the best Côte de Beaune whites. It helps that the mass-selection vines are aged between 50 and 80 years (with younger vine material at the site declassified into the straight Pouilly-Vinzelles).