Saint Veran 'En Pommards' from Maison Matisco is made from 100% Chardonnay sourced from a 1.5ha vineyard containing 50-year-old vines. It has a delightful nose of rich citrus fruit, orchard fruit, tropical notes, melon, ripe pear and lovely light toffee notes. The wine is aged for 10 months in oak of which 50% is new. A brilliant and delicious wine which is opulent on the palate yet fresh on the finish.
Maison Matisco is owned and farmed by brothers Richard and Stephane Martin, who took over the running of the domaine from their father in the 1990s. Their attention to detail, hardworking ethos and verging on obsessive pursuit of excellence has more than paid off and they now produce some of the finest wines in southern Burgundy. They have always farmed organically and have been certified as such since the 2006 vintage. Their vineyard holdings have grown from 6 to around 25 hectares, with the majority in the Davaye commune. This gives them access to wonderful parcels of fruit and allows them to make several single-vineyard wines that are a joy to taste side by side. Production is exclusively Chardonnay and extends across Macon, Saint Veran, Vire Clesse and Pouilly Fuisse. The brothers also bottle these wines under their other label, Domaine de la Croix Senaillet, but they are the same wines.
The brothers’ wines offer tremendous value from a region that is seeing prices escalate. These wines have been made with a meticulous attention to detail and the quality is quite something to behold. I wouldn’t dare compare them to northern Burgundian Chardonnay, but they deliver amazing drinking pleasure at brilliant prices.
