100% Chardonnay

Food pairings: Bresse chicken in a cream sauce, roast chicken, shellfish, grilled fish and fresh goat cheese.

Winemaking: Franclieu is fermented and aged in stainless steel vats to express the fruity, floral aromas and flinty minerality of the best Mâconnais Chardonnay. The grapes are picked by hand, fermentations start with native yeasts only, and sulfur is the only addition. In 2023, a summer of mildew pressure, hail and a late-August heatwave was followed by a warm September; picking ran from September 7 to 22, in the mornings only, and the juices were cooled immediately after pressing to keep as much tension as possible. The result is a round, unctuous, easy-drinking vintage that never feels heavy.

Vineyards and terroir: Franclieu is Jean Manciat's single-vineyard Mâcon-Charnay, with vines at least 35 years old on a more clay-rich part of his clay and limestone soils around Charnay-lès-Mâcon. Manciat prunes in the Côte d'Or style (Guyot) for lower yields, ploughs instead of using herbicides, and replants with old rootstocks and cuttings from old Pouilly-Fuissé vines.

Family and history: Jean Manciat is the third generation on his family's land at Charnay-lès-Mâcon. His father made wine as a hobby while raising Charolais cattle near Cluny; Jean, who studied alongside future stars such as Dominique Lafon and André Ostertag, left the cooperative and released his first vintage in 1985, with Franclieu becoming his signature cuvée. His son Quentin has joined the estate, which began converting to organic farming in 2024.

In the pictures: Jean Manciat in his vines, and freshly picked Chardonnay at harvest (photos courtesy of Louis/Dressner Selections).