2015 Domaine des Gandines

2015 Domaine des Gandines



Where: Macon-Peronne, Burgundy, France
Who: Ben and Robert Dananchet (Son and Father)
What: 100% Chardonnay
Tastes like: Subtle white fruits, with a toasted almond note.  Clean and round.
What to pair with: Seafood, poultry, light apps.

The What: 
All white Burgundy is Chardonnay, but different villages across the region produce very different styles of wine despite all using the same grape.  Burgundy is, for this reason, a great region to really begin to explore the impact terroir and winemaking technique has a on wine.  Chardonnay can be a great chameleon, but most will have some tropical or white fruit notes to the nose and a natural weight to the body independent of the length of time spent in oak.

The Where:
Burgundy produces wines that are some of the most acclaimed, sought after, and expensive in the world.  It is a region that most strictly adheres to the idea that the single most important thing to a wine is the terroir.  Over hundreds of years the Burgundians have determined that their soils are particularly suited to growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and to plant anything else there is a waste of expensive real estate.  The region itself has some of the most highly organized AOC laws, dividing wine into 4 “tiers” depending on how specific the source for the grapes is.



The Who:
Domaine des Gandines was created by Joseph Dananchet in 1925. The first vineyard planted was the exceptional single vineyard called “Les Gandines”. The domain spread over only one hectare and a half acres. In 1979, Robert Dananchet continued the work of his father Marc Dananchet, respecting tradition and terroir by not using herbicides or chemical fertilizers. He increased the vineyard’s size to eight hectares. Benjamin Dananchet took over from his father in 2005, increasing the domaine to 10 hectares and transitioning to all organic farming, becoming certified organic in 2009 and extended that tradition to all biodynamic farming in 2011.  Soil and vine maintenance use all natural methods and follow the natural lunar and seasonal cycles in the plants.  Now Benjamin and Robert are working together with the same passion, and with a simple philosophy: to produce great wines of Chardonnay, by respecting the Terroir, the wild life, and their health.  Winemaking is very hands off, with long fermentation times in a variety of vessels, with or without lees contact depending on the vintage.  Aging can range from 12 to 24 months.

The Wine:
The Macon-Peronne is an elegant white wine of 100% Chardonnay.  The grapes come from different small vineyards located in the village of Peronne.  The wine is made and aged on lees for 6 months only to get a fresh and fruity wine typical of Macon. 

It is a lovely pale yellow color.  The nose is citrus and lime with lightly salted iodine notes.  The palate is balanced with nice acidity, and has a traditional expression of white fruits and should be enjoyed within 3 years of bottling.