This store requires javascript to be enabled for some features to work correctly.
Dominique Cornin 'Les Serreuxdières', Mâcon-Chaintré, Burgundy 2019
- Winemaker: Romain Cornin
- Farming: Biodionymic, Organic Certified
- Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
- Terroir: From a 1.5-hectare, east-facing parcel in the very south of the Mâconnais. The vines were planted in 1936, 1985 and 1996. Vines are Guyot trained. Soils are clay.
- Vinification: Hand harvested. Fermented with native yeast in thermoregulated tanks.
- Aging: The wine is aged in these tanks for approximately 12 months over fine lees. No fining and light filtration.
- Tasting Notes: Clean and expressive, this wine is a quintessential example of southern Burgundian Chardonnay. Aromas of apples, gardenias, fresh sweet cream, wet chalk and lightly toasted almonds come together in a complex wine that glides across the palate with silky concentration and finishes with bracing, vibrant acidity.
From our 2022 Bottle Club Notes:
Dominique Cornin | Les Serreuxdières | Mâcon-Chaintre, Burgundy, France | 2019
One of the first vineyard visits I experienced in France was with Dominique Cornin and his son Romain. It was 2012 and my first time visiting France after becoming a sommelier. My family and I were driving from Alsace to Lyon, stopping in every major winemaking region along the way. Before reaching the Mâconnais, in southern Burgundy, every winery visit had been impersonal and formal, with tasting room employees quickly moving us through lineups of wine. When I reached out to Dominique Cornin through the email address on their website, I expected more of the same, but I was only in the Mâconnais for an afternoon and wanted to visit a small, family-owned production.
Domaine Dominique Cornin was not small; it was micro. We rolled up to the Cornin winery in the village of Chaintré, and there wasn’t a soul in sight other than Dominique and his young twenty-something son, Romain. Romain stopped what he was doing, greeting us joyfully. We hopped into his truck and he drove us into the family’s vineyards. Romain’s English was so-so, and my mom’s French was bleak, but as he showed us around the vines, everything clicked. He eagerly walked us through the plots, showing us the different compositions of clay and limestone while picking up rocks to animate the discussion. He talked about the biodiversity of insects in the vines, pointing out how healthy and lush they were thanks to their biodynamic farming. His enthusiasm and warmth instantly carved out a special place for the Mâconnais in my heart that is still there today.
Romain has since taken over from his dad, who started the winery in 2003, but he has changed very little. They still focus only on Chardonnay from organic and biodynamic vineyards. The Serreuxdières, which comes from 25 to 90-year-old vines planted in rich clay soils, ferments in thermo-regulated tanks and ages on its fine lees for 12 months, creating a rich palate balanced by a laser-sharp acidity on the finish. Aromas of creamy apples, blooming jasmine, and wet chalk offer a very classic example of well-made Mâcon Chardonnay. The best part for me, though, is the memory of Romain & Dominique’s warm welcome. —Simi Grewal
