Thierry Drouin Mâcon-Bussières Le Vieux Puits 2022

The Chardonnay vines are planted on a north facing slope of the ‘Le Vieux Puits’ single vineyard, in the Mâconnais appellation. The vineyard is situated at an elevation of 200 metres and is tucked away with lovely exposure, which helps to promote the ripening of the grapes. The soils are rich in limestone, which are generally alkaline, and produce bright, crisp wines with renowned elegance and expressive aromatics. The vines are pruned according to the simple Guyot method, which produces a balanced yield, with green harvesting taking place to keep yields low and concentrate the flavours in the grapes. The vineyard is ploughed mechanically, and every other row is left with grass cover to encourage biodiversity in the vineyard. The vines are cultivated using copper and sulphur treatments and are harvested at optimum maturity.

The grapes were gravity-fed into the press where they were cooled and underwent slow and gentle pressing. The must was then decanted and racked into 50% stainless steel and 50% French oak barrels, of which 10% were new, where fermentation took place with selected organic yeasts in the stainless steel proportion, with natural yeasts in the barrels. Lees stirring took place adding complexity and texture. Malolactic conversion resulted in a softer mouthfeel. Ageing took place in tanks and barrels, lasting for seven months, followed by a further two months on the lees in stainless steel to ensure good oak integration.