Wines made from Chenin blanc grapes of Mâconnais
Discover the best wines made with Chenin blanc as a single variety or as a blend of Mâconnais.
It most certainly originates from the Anjou region and is registered in the official catalogue of wine grape varieties on the A1 list. It can also be found in South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile, the United States (California), New Zealand, etc. It is said to be a descendant of Savagnin and to have sauvignonasse as its second parent (Jean-Michel Boursiquot 2019). On the other hand, Chenin blanc is the half-brother of verdelho and sauvignon blanc and is the father of colombard.
The Mâconnais wine region in Southern Burgundy is centred on the provincial town of Mâcon, from which it takes its name. The region produces a considerable amount of wine, specializing in white wines made from Chardonnay and a smaller number of red wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay. Unlike the Côte d'Or to the North, where a band of densely planted vines runs roughly north-south across the countryside, the vineyards of the Mâconnais are more sparsely planted and interspersed with land devoted to other forms of agriculture. The landscape here is made up of rolling limestone hills, bordered to the east by the Saône River, which flows south to join the Rhône just outside Lyon.