There is little to say by way of introduction to Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen, renowned for elevating Chardonnay from the Mâconnais to unknown heights, and for the success of his Burgundian negociant label.
This particular story begins in 1997, with Maine and Jean-Marie’s purchase of Chateau des Tourettes, located just a few miles from the town of Apt in the south-eastern corner of the Rhone Valley. Not deterred by the warm climate that the wider region experiences, the property’s altitude of 420m provided a relatively cool microclimate of very beneficial growing conditions. They worked the vineyards, repaired the soils, and brought life back to the landscape, replacing vines that were old, virused and unproductive.
Today, 15ha of vines are split almost equally between white grapes - Chardonnay, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier - and red grapes - Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet-Sauvignon. Their goal is to produce wines driven by the terroir and their specific vision of the possibilities of the region. They therefore removed themselves from the AOC to bottle wines under the Vin de France denomination, giving them the freedom to express themselves in their winemaking without compromising the wines’ quality and style. Needless to say, the majority of the work is done in the vineyard and the wines are vinified with minimal fuss, intervention or technology.
