From: Mâcon, Burgundy, France
Varietal: Gamay
Taste: The concentration of this wine, made from old millerande vines, allowed it to be put into barrels where it softened; it took on very light barrel aromas. The color and aromas are surprising for a Gamay—a gorgeously indulgent wine with aromas and flavors of raspberry, bing cherry, and strawberry coulis. Baking spice and black pepper notes provide accent, balance, and a savory tone to the wine. Bring on the snacks!
“A very intense garnet color, Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine wines produced from the Gamay grape offer indulgent flavors of red and black berries, like crushed strawberry, cherry, and blueberry, combined with floral peony aromas. Velvety in the mouth thanks to some very smooth tannins, the finish is crisp with a touch of spice.” —Vins de Bourgogne
Pairing: When pairing this lovely red, think of everything you’d pair with Beaujolais or a high-quality, regional Bourgogne Rouge, and go from there. I’m including a list of ideas for you below, but if you prefer something like baked or grilled salmon or a pork chop, go for it— those will pair just as well.
We love to keep it simple and prefer jambon et beurre baguettes, but any sandwich that combines or features cold cuts like ham, turkey, chicken, and bacon is a sure win. On that note, charcuterie and fromage boards are easy wins (make sure the fromage isn’t cold and hasn’t been served straight out of the fridge for the best results), as are seared/roasted/smoked salmon or tuna, sausages, and risotto/polenta/corn cakes. Roasted chicken (check out the recipe below) or smoked ham are other easy pairs, and if you’re craving vegetarian fare, go the mushroom or roasted winter veg route, and you can’t go wrong.
Chicken Cutlets With Mushroom Dressing
By Florence Fabricant
About. The Mâconnais is the soul of southern Bourgogne. It extends over 40 km (almost 25 miles) of the Côte Chalonnaise as far as the Rock of Solutré. Lying between the rivers Saône and Grosne, its valleys and hillsides seem to make the vines welcome. Indeed, vines have been grown here since Gallo-Roman times, and their cultivation received a boost from the powerful Abbeys of Cluny and Tournus. The town of Mâcon has strong links with the wine industry. The surrounding villages have a smiling and good-natured appearance, reminiscent of watercolor paintings, with their galleried houses and Romanesque church towers. The wines of the Mâcon appellation, which was established in 1937, can be made from Chardonnay (like this one), Pinot Noir, or Gamay.
The inclusion of “Milly-Lamartine” on this wine’s label indicates that it must come from within a defined area in the villages of Berzé-la-Ville, Berzé-le-Chatel, Milly-Lamartine, and Sologny. Located west of the longest limestone range (stretching from Tournus in the north to Fuissé in the south), the vineyards of Milly-Lamartine are found on the last western slopes of the Mâconnais. Sitting between 287 and 380 meters above sea level on slopes that face the rising sun, the vines are influenced by cool breezes from the first hills of the Haut-Mâconnais. Vineyards span a diversity of soil types (limestone, clay, marl), and exposure ranges from the northeast, where it is cooler, to the southwest, where the vines are more exposed to the sun. Sologny, where Pascerette des Vignes is based, has some Trias clay soils dating back 230 million years.
Founded in 2013, Domaine la Pascerette des Vignes is the project of a lifetime of Celine Robertgeot-Cienki. Originally an engineer from the Marne (in Champagne), Celine settled in the Mâcon (her partner’s hometown) in 1996. The couple had done some consulting work in the agricultural sector, and when they purchased the family home in the town of Sologny, the idea of creating a small farm came up. They found an old farmhouse on the heights of Val Lamartinien and started purchasing sheep. They opened a bed and breakfast on their property in 1999, and their project evolved to include a wine estate when they bought more land in 2012. Celine’s husband joined her work in the vineyards in 2019, and today, they manage 6.8 hectares of vineyards, 16 hectares of meadows, 60 sheep (also used in the vineyards), and a gîte (bed and breakfast).
Their vineyards (which include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay) are planted amongst pastures and forests at around 300 meters above sea level with East and South-East exposures. The estate's name, “Pascerette,” highlights the dual activities; it means shepherdess and also designates the cajole, a shelter for the vineyard workers.
Minimal intervention is the philosophy in the cellar, and farming practices to make genuine and authentic wines grown in a preserved environment. The wines are all organic certified and hand-harvested.