Henri Perrusset, Chardonnay, Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France 2022

This is Chardonnay at its most easy-going and crowd-pleasing. Ripe orchard fruit and citrus abound in your glass, but there’s still a light mineral spine and refreshing acidity that balance things out.

Perrusset’s vineyards boast a limestone terroir that is more marly than stony, which he says contributes to the grainy minerality in his wines. The result? Soft tones of Anjou pears and honeysuckle and a long, zesty finish.

For decades, the Mâconnais has been dominated by the banal bottlings of cooperative cellars; not the sort of quality that leads novices to explore the wines of the region. But at the same time, Henri Perrusset has been working his vineyards by hand, reducing his yields to improve grape quality, all while offering us very reasonable prices. 

Henri Perrusset’s vineyards and home are located in the small town of Farges-les-Mâcon, on the northernmost spur of the limestone subsoil that characterizes the appellation of Mâcon. These are Chardonnays with the ripeness and intensity level of a Pouilly-Fuissé or even a Saint-Aubin, with the particular goût de terroir of Henri’s corner of Mâcon.