2017 Domaine du Chateau de Pierreclos Macon-Pierreclos 750 ml

Burgundy is the home of Chardonnay, and to some of the most thrilling examples of the grape—often with three- and four-digit price tags to match. But there’s value to be found if you know where to look, and the Domaine du Château de Pierreclos has become a member-favorite for delivering exceptional quality and Burgundy style at a humble price—with hundreds of four- and five-star reviews over the last three years singing its praises.

The 2017 edition is white Burgundy without compromise, but also without the price tag or the aging requirements of its more famous brethren in Chassagne- and Puligny-Montrachet. It’s classically bright and mineral-driven without being stern—and best of all, at our value price it's easy to make this standout a guilt-free go-to white.

The Château de Pierreclos sits triumphantly at the crown of its namesake village, and winemaker Jean-Marie Pidault will proudly point to 1140 as the founding date for his family’s domain. During the intervening generations, they’ve collected a small but impeccable set of vineyards in the “piedra closa,” or “enclosed rock,” the stony, bowl-shaped hillside immediately around the town. 

Pidault is obsessive in his pursuit of quality, recently hiring a star vineyard manager away from the Mâconnais project of Dominique Lafon, a Côte d’Or star whose white Burgundies fetch north of $2,000 per bottle. The Pierreclos vineyards are now organically farmed with a laser-like precision—yet another reason that the ‘17 is their best release yet.

Tasting this wine, it’s immediately clear that it would make a fantastic glass pour at a high-end bistro—or our kitchen table. It’s classy and elegant, with a sophisticated nose of bright Bosc pear, King David apple, yellow flowers, and a touch of dried thyme, previewing a palate where a beautiful raft of orchard fruit floats along a river of mineral tension. It’s a combination that’s uniquely Burgundian, but unlike many $60+ bottlings from the area, drinks fantastically from the first pull of the cork.

2017 is a white Burgundy vintage that Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rated 96 points and described as “classically balanced and beautifully defined.” The outstanding quality of the year, combined with the Château’s vineyards’ unique geography—with its perfect exposure and rocky soils—are a match made in heaven, accentuating the minerality, tension, and freshness we treasure out of Mâcon-Pierreclos.

Despite their quality and history, the Château de Pierreclos only owns two hectares of Chardonnay vineyards in their hometown, so there isn’t a lot to go around. Don’t be caught waiting another year for the 2018 to come out.