Nicolas Maillet

About

Owners & winemakers: Aline & Nicolas Maillet
Vineyards: 8ha across 21 parcels
Vineyard management: Demeter-certified biodynamic and Ecocert-certified organic
Soils: Clay-limestone
Grapes grown: Chardonnay, Aligoté, Gamay, Pinot Noir
Annual production: 50,000 bottles

Quick facts:

• All of the wines are fermented and aged only in tank–no barrels are used.
• After almost seventy years with the local coop, they switched back to vinifying their own wines in 1999.
• The goal is to make elegant, terroir-driven expressions from a region of Burgundy better known for its fruity, youthful styles.

The winery is situated on the slopes of the small village of Verzé, in the heart of the Mâconnais. It has belonged to the Maillet family for four generations. They originally made wine in the cellars on the family property, before shifting production to the local coop in 1928. When Nicolas took over in 1999, he returned to the tradition of estate-bottle wines. The family vineyards are now an average of 50 years old, plus another 2.7ha of Chardonnay have been planted since 1999. Farming is organic and biodynamic, with certification since 2008. In order to promote soil health, they use farm manure and plow regularly, which encourages deep-rooted vines and microbiological activity in the soil.

The white wines are fermented and aged only in tanks, not in barrels, and each parcel is vinified separately to preserve the characteristics of each grape and each terroir. “It’s very interesting to note the significant differences between each parcel when tasting,” Aline tells us. No commercial yeast is used–each parcel is fermented with the yeasts naturally present on those grapes. Because of this, fermentations are very slow (often lasting between six and ten months), but it allows them to make wines that are elegant, delicate, and the truest expression of each site.