The
Touzot family domaine is located in the northernmost part of the
Macon region, just south of the Cotes Chalonnaise. Of their 12 hectares
of vineyards, half are Chardonnay, planted across several sites with
clay-limestone soils and varying exposures in the commune of Martailly
les Brancion, near Tournus. (The balance of the vines are Pinot Noir
and Gamay.) The Chardonnay vines average 30 years of age, and 25% are
over 60 years old – which is one of the keys to the wine’s
concentration and complexity.
The grapes are 100%
hand-harvested and quickly pressed in a state-of-the-art bladder press,
in order to extract all the fruit and aromas while avoiding any
bitterness. Touzot ferments the juice in temperature-controlled,
stainless-steel cuvées. The wine is bottled in March, and released for
sale after two months of bottle age.
Jean’s son Frédéric took
over management of the family domaine in 2002. Frédéric immediately
dedicated himself to moving the domaine’s viticultural practice to
sustainability. He ended systematic vineyards treatments and the use of
herbicides. He now only carries out treatments with
environmentally-friendly products to check odium and mildew when
necessary for the health of the crop. Frédéric Touzot also now
regularly plows the soil to ensure its healthy state. Organic
fertilizers are used only when needed, as determined by regular tests
of the soils of each parcel.
Domaine Jean Touzot’s Macon
Villages is a text book example: a lively bouquet of green apples and
flowers (acacia is notable) and good, crisp persistent, juicy green
apple and melon Chardonnay fruit. It is the perfect all-purpose white
wine, served chilled but not ice-cold. This wine goes
particularly well with lighter fish and fowl dishes, shrimp and crab,
cold meats, and is also a perfect aperitif. The Touzot Macon Villages
represents outstanding value in Chardonnay
The
potential of the Touzot estate was already recognized in June 1996,
when the Revue du Vin de France acclaimed the Touzot Macon Villages:
“...at last a wine with fine acidity, with a lively expression of terroir
and of fruit, which departs from the general surrounding mediocrity.” (
"...enfin un vin de belle acidite, avec une expression vive du terroir, et du grain, et qui sort de la mediocrite ambiante.” )
