Macon Fuissé Les Tâches 2023 Domaine Vessigaud

The Mâcon-Fuissé Les Tâches 2023 from Domaine Vessigaud is one of the most discreet and exciting bottles from southern Burgundy — a Chardonnay of pure conviction, taut, mineral and of absolute precision, born from a micro-terroir of just 80 ares on the limestone heights of Fuissé, which Pierre Vessigaud himself describes simply as "the extraction of mineral quintessence". A cuvée that belongs among the great wines of the Mâconnais according to the most discerning connoisseurs, and which proves it with disarming candour at every vintage.

The terroir of Les Tâches

The Les Tâches plot sits due east on the heights of Fuissé, at 350 metres altitude — a rare position in the Mâconnais, which offers on clear days a magnificent view to the peaks of Mont-Blanc. This exceptional site rests on very rocky, limestone-rich soil of particular shallowness and austerity, which forces the roots of the Chardonnay to plunge directly into the rock to find their nourishment, and which thus concentrates the aromatic expression and minerality of the wine with an intensity and precision that deeper, richer soils cannot reproduce. This hard limestone, reddish at its surface, is the geological foundation that gives Les Tâches its identity: mineral tension, clean grain and salinity that evoke the Côte de Beaune more than the usual solar generosity of the Mâconnais. The plot is worked with constant rigour and exacting standards: regular ploughing, green harvests to limit naturally already low yields, strict pruning — so many gestures that reveal Pierre Vessigaud's conviction that this terroir deserves to be treated as a grand cru. Winemaking is precise and respectful: manual harvest, whole-bunch pressing, 12 months ageing in oak barrels 5 to 10 years old — old enough not to mark the wine with oaky notes but young enough to bring gentle natural micro-oxygenation — followed by 6 months in stainless steel before bottling.

Tasting profile

The colour is pale gold with green reflections, bright and limpid, of crystalline clarity. The nose is fine, expressive and of remarkable purity: aromas of candied lemon, pear, quince and fresh citrus intertwine with notes of delicate white flowers and chalky, saline minerality that impose itself progressively with precision and tension that far surpass what one expects from a Mâcon. A light white pepper note enriches this bouquet with elegant complexity. On the palate, frankness and tension are the first words that come to mind: the acidity is lively and precise, structuring a wine that is both light and of surprising depth. The texture is silky and mineral, with clean, defined limestone grain that flows across the palate with elegance. The finish is long, extended, fruity and mineral, of admirable balance between fruit and stone — to borrow the exact words of those who have known it from the beginning. A wine for the purist, to drink within 2 to 3 years to appreciate its full complexity, and capable of evolving harmoniously over 8 to 10 years.

The domaine

Françoise and Pierre Vessigaud perpetuate five generations of family viticulture based at the Hameau de Pouilly, in Solutré-Pouilly, at the heart of the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation. It is Pierre, at the helm since 1998, who committed the domaine to constant, exacting quality practices: respect for soils for more than 15 years, hand-worked vineyard across the entire 9-hectare holding, controlled yields and rigorous harvest selection. His vision is simple and absolute: to let the terroirs of Fuissé and Solutré express themselves without artifice or excessive intervention, entrusting to long ageing in old barrels the task of refining and complexifying juices of already remarkable purity from the press. A philosophy that swiftly earned the domaine a well-deserved reputation among the most demanding enthusiasts of the Mâconnais.

Food pairings

This Mâcon-Fuissé Les Tâches will pair beautifully with pan-seared scallops in beurre noisette, river fish with almonds, trout en papillote with fresh herbs, langoustine gratin, roasted Bresse chicken or asparagus and parmesan risotto. It will also find fine harmony with fresh or semi-aged goat cheeses, or young Époisses. Served between 11 and 13 °C, it will reveal all the tension, mineral purity and depth of a Chardonnay that belongs among the great wines of the Mâconnais.