100% Chardonnay

Food pairings: A lovely aperitif; also with sea scallop carpaccio, steamed fish and light seafood dishes.

Winemaking: The grapes undergo a long, gentle pressing to obtain the clearest possible juice. Alcoholic fermentation, lasting 15 to 20 days, takes place in vats and in 5% new barrels, and the wine ages on its lees until malolactic fermentation is complete. The wines are blended the summer after the harvest and lightly filtered before bottling in August.

Vineyards and terroir: La Pièce lies at Russilly, a hamlet of Givry, in a natural amphitheatre facing the rising sun: a balcony seat in the Côte Chalonnaise with a clear view of Mont Blanc. The domaine's vines sit on some of the highest slopes of Givry, at around 370 meters, which gives them their own microclimate. The estate has been certified for sustainable viticulture since 2008.

Family and history: The family has been established at Russilly since 1710, and the estate has passed from son-in-law to son-in-law for the last two generations. In 2019 Jonathan Brunot took over from Denis Valdenaire, and the domaine, long known as Chofflet-Valdenaire, returned to its original name, Domaine Chofflet. All its vineyards lie within the Givry appellation, and the house favors long ageing in French oak with never more than 25% new barrels.

In the pictures: Jonathan Brunot and Denis Valdenaire in the barrel cellar, and the vineyards of Givry seen from the domaine's slopes (photos courtesy of Domaine Chofflet).