Website: https://chateaudelagreffiere.com/en/
Greffière is an exciting producer in the Mâconnais, based in La Roche Vineuse, and they also have a bit of history. The Grezuard family has been here since 1924 but the buildings, typical of the Mâconnais, date back to 1790. We met with Gaylord Petrillo and Xavier Greuzard. Xavier is mainly focused on the vineyard, but they both work together in the cellar. They have been working hard on rebuilding the property, and have a full-time stone mason working with them.
They are currently in conversion to organic farming, and the terroir influence is really clear. In the vineyards next to the winery, if you look below the road then there’s a lot of clay with a bit of limestone. Above the road, then it’s all bony, brittle limestone with much less clay.
One plot was fallow: this had been under vine since 1952 and they removed the vineyard and planted a mix of species, mainly alfafa, to revitalize the soil before replanting.
Overall, they have 65 hectares, with 13% crus and the rest regional wines. Production is 280-380 000 bottles per year. For the white wines, there is never any battonage.
‘I want each wine with its own identity,’ says Xavier. ‘When I was a student I was disappointed when I tasted the first wine and I wasn’t enthusiastic. I am focused – each wine needs to be different but also understandable.’
He also comments that Mâcon has become whiter. ‘In the 1970s Mâcon was 70% red, we used to call it vin de comptoir, because it used to be cheap wine, easy to pour, wine for everyday, but this kind of customer has declined a lot. Now the balance has changed, and it is more white than red.’
Château De La Greffière Mâcon de Roche Vineuse Chardonnay 2022
Seven plots with different ages of vines. Harvested ripe, pressed, aged on lees in stainless steel tanks, no battonage. Lovely weight here with some toast and spice as well as a bit of peachy richness, but also some nice saline, crystalline citrus fruit. Fresh and juicy on the finish, showing depth and refinement. Lovely purity and balance: it has some richness, but finishes long and fresh. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Aligoté 2022
‘I love Aligoté,’ says Xavier, ‘I’m one of the crazy people who replant it every year. It is a very simple grape variety: there are only two things to do. One is to harvest ripe. It is a late variety and it can go from ripe to over-ripe, and in some years there is rain so there is a risk harvesting late. The other thing is that it is a very productive variety, so if you let it do what it wants, it isn’t interesting.’ This is detailed and stony with a nice mineral complexity with a bit of saltiness and lovely crystalline citrus fruit. There’s a fine mineral dimension to this wine. So fresh with lovely balance. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon de Roche Vineuse Vielles Vignes 2021
A single-plot wine. Old vines planted in 1952 on the chalky soils. Oak fermented and aged but in older barrels. Barrels steamed rather than charred. This is complex and linear with some orange peel and grapefruit as well as chiselled mineral lemony fruit. Has lovely acidity with a long, stony, mineral finish. So precise and intense with a lovely saline, crystalline finish. 94/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon Milly Lamartine Cuvée Alphonse 2022
Clay soils, 100 m higher, south facing. Vinified in 400 litre oak barrels. This is complex and layered with some nice stony, mineral notes. Good intensity with pear and citrus fruit with some saline notes and a nice mealy depth. This has a wide dynamic range, with some richness and then a fresh lemony edge. Tapering finish with some saline detail on the finish. 94/100
Château De La Greffière Saint-Véran 2023
This is mainly from Prissé. It’s fruity, primary and open but with some mandarin, lemon and pear fruit and a touch of salinity. It’s ripe and delicious with nice weight to the fruit. Finishes with tingly lemony acidity. Needs a little time to settle down but will be really good once the initial fermentation fruitiness has subsided slightly. Really expressive. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Coup de Foudre 2020
100% foudre, new, bottled in magnum at the request of Fabrice Sommier, a sommelier, and the proceeds go to the cystic fibrosis trust in France which is close to the family. Very refined with good concentration and some subtle toast and spice from the foudre, with compact pear and peach fruit, some lemony detail, and good acidity. A complete expression of Mâconnais Chardonnay showing real depth. This is quite beautiful. 95/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon Roche RV Les Ronzettes 2022
Marl with an iron influence. Barrel-fermented, 20% new oak. Lovely taut citrus and meal nose with nice spiciness. The palate is linear and bright with some pear and peach as well as complex spice, honey and toast notes, then a thrust of lemony brightness. Harmonious and profound with a saline twist on the finish. Shows good concentration. 94/100
Château De La Greffière Saint-Véran Au Mont 2020
Flinty soils. This is a small hill down from Vergisson. Lovely nose of meal, popcorn and ripe peach and pear fruit. The palate has nice richness and depth with a salty twist to the fresh citrus fruit, with a touch of pear skin and pith. Bright finish. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Pouilly-Fuissé 2023
This is the only one they buy grapes for, from the same producer each year. They harvest themselves. This is exotic and floral with sweet aromatics of pear and peach, with a twist of mandarin. The palate is bright and linear with nice balance and weight. It’s light and fruity but has some depth, too. Nice balance here. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon Milly Lamartine Gamay Rosé Cuvée Alphonse 2022
Gamay on clay soils, vinified in 400 liter barrels after direct pressing. Very pale in color. This is stony and linear with a bright citrus and cherry character. Fresh and direct with nice brightness. Very fruity but also quite refined with a gastronomic character. This was designed for local customers visiting the domaine but it has proved a hit with Michelin-starred sommeliers for food pairings. 91/100
Château De La Greffière Mâcon-Serrières Rouge 2023
Gamay grown on pink granitic sandy soils, just next to Beaujolais in the south of the appellation, at 400 m. Destemmed, and vinified in stainless steel. Beautiful aromatics of floral red cherries and cranberries with some subtle green hints. Lovely fine red cherries and plums on the palate with some wild strawberry. Just so delicious and drinkable. Pure and fine. 92/100
Château De La Greffière Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022
This comes from the chalky soil on the estate, west facing, vinified in stainless steel. This is sweetly fruited and rounded with nice juicy cherry and plum fruit with a touch of strawberry and even some bubble gum hints. Fine, detailed and pure, with nice bright fruit and no rough edges. Massive drinkability. 91/100
Château De La Greffière Saint Amour 2022 Beaujolais
Gamay. This is beautifully focused with stony cherry and berry fruits. This is juicy and intense with lovely precision and depth, with a bit of structure and good acidity. Lovely stuff. 93/100
Château De La Greffière La Greffiere Monopole Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021
This is 10 months in barrel, then the best barrels are blended, and the wine then goes back to barrel for 8 months. This is fine and sappy on the nose with floral red cherries with leafy green hints. The palate is fine and sappy with some savoury structure and a lightness of being. Very expressive and floral with a slightly abrasive finish, but it works so well. Fine and gastronomic. 94/100
Château De La Greffière Bourgogne Pinot Noir Cuvée Alphonse 2022
From Milly Lamartine, higher altitude, south facing, clay soils. Matured in 400 litre oak. Nice intensity here with structured cherry and berry fruits with some good acidity. Concentrated, fresh fruit with nice depth and a hint of beetroot. Some substance here: quite primary and grippy on the finish. Nice intensity. 93/100
Château De La Greffière Macon-Serrieres La Croix Rouge 2022
430 m. Gamay on pink granite, oak aged in small barrels. Juicy and vibrant with robust raspberry and cherry fruit, showing a robust fruity character and a nice stony edge. Lots of fruit here, but fresh and beautifully balanced with some grip on the finish. Such presence and energy. 94/100
Château De La Greffière Saint Amour Paradis 2021
Old granitic soils. Crushed, 2 days cold maceration, then oak ageing. This is bright and vivid with nice acidity and focus. Supple with raspberry and cherry fruit with nice grip. It’s substantial with freshness and grip, showing some sappy hints. Juicy, vibrant, tannic and with real drinkability. Compact and with potential to age. 93/100
Château De La Greffière Crémant de Bourgogne NV
They are one of the few in the region to do everything themselves. Dosage 4 g/l. There are only 40 producers in Bourgogne who make Crémant without contracting part of the production process out. This is 2019 vintage, 36 months. This is ripe and rich with some melon, ripe apple and apricot, with exotic fruitiness. Such depth here with some subtle meal and toast notes in the background. Soft and fruit-driven with lovely drinkability. 91/100
Château De La Greffière 20 Dix Style
44% alcohol. This is distilled. In 2010 they sold part of their production in bulk but the market was poor so they made 2 barrels distilled and forgot it for 10 years. They opened it and it was reductive so they oxidated it by pumping over in tank for a month. It is a small batch. Powerful and spicy with lovely fruity tones. Lively and intense with amazing harmony and power.
Domaine du Château de la Greffière
500 route de Verzé – 71960 La Roche-Vineuse
Tel. +33 (0)3 85 37 79 11
chateaudelagreffiere.com