MACON-AZÉ > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

MACON-AZÉ 2024

click on one of the vintages below for further information

2021 2022 2023 2024

Varietal

Gamay Noir, grape variety from southern Burgundy and Beaujolais.

Tasting notes

Colour: from cherry to dark ruby via deep garnet.

Nose: accents of small red and black fruits (gooseberry, bilberry) blended with notes of underbrush, mushroom, fruit-pit and animal.

Palate: fruity, rich, hearty, fleshy and easy to like. Both the wine's structure and texture are excellent.

Food and wine pairing

Drink with all delicatessen, charcuterie, grilled and roasted meats, burgers, tapas, wbut alos mixed summer salads and cheeses.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally at around 15°C. (59°F.)

Ageing potential

Mâcon-Azé will be fresh and lively in its youth, and gain in smoothness after about two to three years.

Origins

Mâcon-Azé is a regional appellation from the Mâconnais wine-growing district (Saône-et-Loire) in southern Burgundy.

The name of the commune of origin, in this case AZÉ, may be added to the label after the name MÂCON, attesting that the wine is made from vines grown in the delimited area of the 20 producing and grouped communes.

The appellation is grown on 16 ha of red vines (74 ha of white vines).

- The soils are very stony, carbonated and shallow (east), but also clay-loam on a marl-limestone substrate (south and west).
- Gentle to steep slopes.
- Altitude between 250 and 440 m.

Vinification and maturing

The grapes are destemmed for maximum fruitiness. Maceration and fermentation take place in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature (30°C), with punching down of the cap twice a day during alcoholic fermentation and a few pump-overs to extract all the compounds from the grapes. Malolactic fermentation is carried out at 100% to soften the wine and reduce its acidity. In order to obtain fruity aromas, the wine is matured in vats for around 6 months.

Vintage : 2024

The year 2024 in Burgundy was marked by extreme weather conditions, including excessive rainfall and a significant lack of sunshine. These factors led to high disease pressure, particularly downy mildew, complicating the work of winegrowers. Episodes of frost and hail also caused substantial damage, especially in regions such as Chablis and the Auxerrois.

Yields were heavily impacted, with losses reaching up to 70% in certain areas. The Côte Chalonnaise proved more resilient, recording more limited losses. Overall, volumes are well below the usual average, reminiscent of the difficult 2021 harvest.

The late harvest required rigorous sorting to preserve quality. Despite the challenges, the harvested grapes reached excellent ripeness thanks to a sunny spell in September. The reds stand out for their richness and concentration, comparable to great vintages like 2010. The whites, characterized by their elegance, are reminiscent of the 2022 vintage.

Initial tastings reveal promising wines with concentrated aromas and fine structure. This vintage, though quantitatively limited, is shaping up to be a qualitative success.