Domaine de Thalie

The town and extensive vineyards of Macon mark the transition from pinot noir to gamay, Burgundy to Beaujolais, and this tiny organic makes wines with a foot in both camps. Peter Gierszewski was a wine merchant in France for 10 years before making the jump into winemaking in 2009. Organic from the start he converted to biodynamics in 2014 and the only addition made to the wines is a small dose of sulphur to protect them for export. He cultivates only 4.5 hectares in the hills above the monastic town of Cluny in the town of Bray. Vines here are orientated westward rather than the normal south-east and this brings a lift and freshness that gives a nod to nearby Jura on tasting. Soils are as diverse as you expect in the transitional area, with Burgundy limestone and clay meeting the acid granite soils of Beaujolais, and the grapes too straddle the border. There is chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay, and even a little syrah grown here. The larger format and extra age on both the red magnums reaps special benefits and are not to be missed. Pinot noir comes from 30 – 60 year old vines on clay-limestone soil, and the wine is aged in barrel for 10 months before bottling. The chardonnay is from younger vines and is fermented and aged in tank with no oak. The gamay for the Macon rouge comes from 50 – 60 year old vines.