Winemaker Notes
Les Molières is situated in the village of Grevilly (one of the three villages that make up the appellation of Cruzille) and is oriented south-west. The soil is mainly red marl, on a bedrock of thick limestone. What makes Les Molières special is that it was planted (in 1936) with a variety of Chardonnay known as Chardonnay Muscaté, an old cross between Chardonnay and small-berried Muscat de Rivesaltes. The wine is always very aromatic thanks to the influence of the Muscat grape, but also saline and mineral because of the strong limestone terroir. It is the oldest vineyard of the Domaine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled after 11 months' maturation, the 2019 Mâcon-Cruzille Les Molières derives from old-vine muscaté selections of Chardonnay planted on a rocky, south-facing slope. Bursting with aromas of pear, beeswax and blanched almonds, framed by light reduction, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and fleshy, with a charming, demonstrative profile that belies its long track record of aging with grace.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
These are the fun, fruit-driven and lively Chardonnays of white Burgundy, often offering some fantastic values and options that you don’t have to cellar. Flavors range from fresh green apple and lemon to melon or pineapple; some of the best are fleshy and mineral driven or balanced by a light touch of oak.
Mâconnais Chardonnay may have the weight of their more serious Côte de Beaune sisters, but not quite the refinement. Still, this appellation is one of the best ways to jump from California Chardonnay to something new and begin to understand white Burgundy.
The Mâconnais region is warmer and drier than the rest of Burgundy to its north (Côte d’Or) and has a landscape of rolling hills and farmland interspersed among vineyards. The region produces a lot of Chardonnay—Viré-Clessé and Pouilly-Fuisse are among the best—and a very small amount of red wine from Gamay and Pinot Noir. The soils of Mâconnais remain limestone dominant like in the Côte d’Or, making it a wonderful spot for Chardonnay to thrive. Gamay's home of Beaujolais lies just to the south.