Domaine Sophie Cinier Saint-Véran 'A La Côte' 2020

Domaine Sophie Cinier is small, just 2.33 hectares. All vineyards are around Fuissé, which is a 15-minute drive from Mâcon. 

Sophie’s family estate produced its first wines in 2000, but her family on her mother’s side of the family has lived in Fuissé and been involved in wine production since at least the time of her grandfather. The vines were planted in 1941 and came under Sophie’s control in 1998.

There is a lovely range of different styles from this family estate. The vineyard area has recently expanded to a new vineyard of 1.2 hectares in Igé, 10 miles north of her home in Fuissé. It’s planted with a hectare of Chardonnay for two new wines, a Bourgogne Blanc and a Mâcon Villages Le Clos, and 0.2 ha is planted with Pinot Noir. Unlike the large parts of the Mâconnais where machine harvesting is the norm, Sophie’s vineyard work is entirely manual.

The Saint-Véran comes from a lieu-dit in Chasselas called À la Côte (on the slope), but despite the name the vineyard is completely flat. It is a very cool and windy place. The harvest is done by hand and uses whole bunches.

Sophie's idea for her Saint-Véran is to make a wine that goes well with food and can be a great aperitif. The Saint-Véran are made in barrels and like the Pouilly-Fuissé it stays one year in barrel. The barrels are between five and ten years old.

Aromas of white flowers, lemon curd, fresh nuts, crushed stones. Plush, fruity, refined. Perfect alongside grilled chicken, soft-rind French cheeses, and sushi.