White Burgundy seems to have a complex and expensive connotation to most of us. But actually, it’s not that difficult and not always expensive. Walk with me, while I explain. White Burgundy is chardonnay. Yes, this is your friendly chardonnay that you know from the wine store, grocery store, etc. It is, however, chardonnay from France, and it’s also from an undeniably confusing and sometimes expensive region known as Burgundy.
Still with me? OK, while Burgundy definitely has some prime pieces of real estate for chardonnay (e.g. Puligny-Montrachet), there are some other very nice areas that produce beautiful fruit, and without the huge tariff. The Mâconnais is one of those areas. The Mâconnais district lies in the south of the Burgundy wine region, and takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the chardonnay grape.
This non-oaked Mâcon from Marie-Pierre Manciat is light gold in color, slightly creamy in the nose, and you can pick up a bit of lemon curd, plus some candied lemon peel. Dry, yet very fruit-driven on the palate, with lots of juicy acids balancing out the fruit. There’s the tiniest bit of tartness, just before the nice crisp finish kicks in, leaving a very satisfying aftertaste. This will pair with shellfish, almost any white fish filet, and most chicken dishes. And, here’s the best part—it’s only 12.5 percent alcohol. Do you know what that means? It means you can open two bottles instead of one!
It’s available for $14 or less at Best Wines Online, bestwinesonline.com, and Wine Exchange, winex.com.
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