Philippe Valette

For too long, the Mâconnais was kept in the shadow of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or, but it has finally gained recognition for its great white wine terroirs thanks to the exacting work of particularly determined winegrowers - organic or biodynamic cultivation - who are grouped together in the association "Artisans-Vignerons de la Bourgogne du Sud". Philippe and Cécile Valette are certainly one of the best examples of this requirement and determination, and the different wines of the estate truly reflect the expressive diversity of the terroirs, from the Mâcon-Chaintré and Viré-Clessé appellations to Pouilly-Fuissé. 
When Philippe Valette took over from his father on the family estate in 1992, he left the cooperative cellar for good and abandoned chemical products for good. On the 8 hectares of Chardonnay (80% from massal selection) that he cultivates, essentially in Chaintré, Vinzelles and Viré, he places the life of the soil at the top of his list of concerns. Light tillage, controlled grass growth, biodynamic practices, harvesting at full ripeness, then vinification without external inputs and long maturation in barrels (except for the Mâcon-Villages) on fine lees, favouring the complex interplay of oxidation and reduction: a conception of the winegrower's work which in many respects combines audacity and a traditional approach in order to achieve the most authentic expression of each terroir. Wines of flavour and texture, deep and complex, both mineral and powerful, that stand out in the Mâconnais production.