Domaine Guffens-Heynen : Saint-Véran Village "Premier Jus" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Saint-Véran Village "Premier Jus" 2023 Domaine Guffens-Heynen

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a pale lemon hue, embellished with delicate golden highlights.

Nose
Expressive and complex, the nose reveals aromas of pear, toasted sesame and walnut. These are accompanied by notes of white flowers and a subtle touch of flint, characteristic of its youth.

Palate
With a satiny texture, the palate offers a medium to full body underpinned by lively acidity. The fruity attack is balanced by a chalky minerality, leading to a long, saline and persistent finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

Suggested by the estate with warm oysters, sea bream ceviche or a mature goat's cheese, this white wine also pairs wonderfully with white fish, delicate poultry or dishes with creamy sauces and fresh herbs such as tarragon.

Service and Storage

This Saint-Véran Village "Premier Jus" 2023 shows excellent ageing potential and can be enjoyed from 2025 through to around 2038.

The Intensity and Mineral Precision of a White Wine from Saint-Véran

The Estate

Located in France, in the region of Burgundy, Domaine Guffens-Heynen was founded following the acquisition of its first plots in 1979 by Jean-Marie Guffens and his wife Maine Heynen. Established in the Mâconnais, the estate today spans just over 5 hectares. Still led by Jean-Marie Guffens, the domaine is renowned for its minimalist viticultural approach, its very low yields and its commitment to revealing terroirs that are sometimes underestimated. The wines produced stand out for their strong identity and remarkable precision.

The Vineyard

This wine comes from the Saint-Véran appellation, located in the southern Mâconnais. The vines, notably planted on the Les Combes plot, thrive at altitudes ranging between 200 and 450 metres. The terroir is composed mainly of clay-limestone soils, which give the grapes a distinctly mineral character. The vines are cultivated according to a philosophy of minimal intervention, limiting ploughing and encouraging permanent grass cover to control vine vigour.

The Vintage

2023 was characterised by particularly hot and dry weather conditions. After a mild March and a cooler April that protected the buds from frost, the vines grew rapidly in May. The summer was marked by heatwaves and storms in June and July, followed by a very hot end to the season. However, the water reserves in the soil allowed the berries to reach optimal ripeness while retaining lovely acidity.

Winemaking and Aging

The grapes for the Saint-Véran Village "Premier Jus" 2023 are harvested by hand, with several passes through the vines to select only perfectly ripe berries. Pressing takes place in a vertical press, and only the first pressing is kept for this cuvée. Fermentation occurs naturally with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged on its lees for 12 to 18 months in a variety of vessels (oak barrels, stainless steel tanks and concrete eggs), with regular bâtonnage and the addition of first lees to protect the wine from oxidation.

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay.