Mâcon-Chardonnay, Tourbillion 2020, Domaine Vuillemez

The new Vuillemez domain, located next to a centuries-old church in the village of Chardonnay, is managed by Claude Vuillemez. Claude, a watchmaker from Neuchâtel and manager within the Richemont group (which includes CARTIER), continues the tradition with passion and craftsmanship.

Under the guidance of the talented Swiss oenologist Christian Vessaz, from the beautiful winery “Cru de l'Hôpital” in the relatively unknown Vully on Lake Murten | Murtensee in Switzerland, Vuillemez wine is infused with vibrant minerality. Christian's respect for nature is evident in every sip, where the wine vibrates more, has a refined aromatic precision and retains length in the mouth.

The Unoaked Chardonnay of the top vintage 2020 is a masterpiece from the Mâconnais. A stylish new-day thirst quencher for today and the years to come. This advanced wine reveals several facets. Refreshing straight from the refrigerator, but with oxygen and temperature it becomes more complex and rounded.

With powerful mineral and salty acidity, the wine balances the aromatic contributions and concentrated fruit flavors from the concrete eggs, creating a sensational tension and a floating, light-footed mouthfeel. Both complex and extremely precise, this wine is surprisingly drinkable, even at a young age. With sun-dried straw, wax, yellow fruit and a hint of flint/smokiness in the nose, the taste offers a fresh and spicy experience with a little fat on the bones. Think of stone fruits such as mirabelle plum, tantalizing citrus notes that flash like the second hand of a chronograph, green apple, subtle tropical notes, flinty chalky minerality, a little bitter and a beautiful salty aftertaste.

The Mâcon regional wine is often characterized by a small bitterness in the final and reveals a deep underlying green tea-like spiciness at the right temperature. Ideal to combine with white or green asparagus, samphire, salads with grilled aubergines, sweet potato or spicy goat cheese, poke bowls, sushi, oysters, mussels, (vegetable) tempura, fruits de mer or various types of white fish. Rice dishes generally also go well with the green tea element of this wine.

This refined cuvee, called ''Tourbillon'', is inspired by the clock mechanism of the same name that limits the influence of Earth's gravity. The egg-shaped stone barrels promote the natural movement of the lees and keep them in suspension during vinification. Unlike manual stirring (''Bâtonnage''), this method preserves freshness without sacrificing flavor. With an alcohol content of 13% for the 2020 vintage and an organic conversion, this wine is a promising concept for lovers of high-quality, pure, fresh and exciting wines.

When Burgundy wines have an excellent pedigree, this is often accompanied by aging in wood. However, sometimes one longs for something special without the distraction of masking vanilla-like aromas. Here the Tourbillion cuvee really shines, with its rearing on concrete eggs, offering a high-quality exciting experience.