Marcel Couturier Bourgogne Blanc (Macon Aux Scellés) 2024

Variety: Chardonnay
Country Region: France, Burgundy, Mâconnais
Appellation: Bourgogne Blanc

This wine comes from a plot of vines around fifteen years old, with schistous soil composed of variegated clay. The name of the vineyard, "Aux Scellés," comes from its specific location in the village of Loché in the Mâconnais region of southern Burgundy. This pale-hued wine evokes springtime with its delicate scents of linden and chamomile, and its charming aromas of ripe, fresh yellow fruit. On the palate, it is pure indulgence; ample and fleshy, underscored by a fine vivacity, a wine brimming with juicy, fresh fruit.

2023 Review ' These are the vines by the winery, on silty soil at the top. Pale in colour, with a light green tint, a classic Mâcon nose, aged in their oldest barrels for 8 months. Just a little heat maybe at the finish. 13.5%, attractive little touch of green. Drink from 2025-2027. Tasted Jun 2025. ' 87 points, Jasper Morris M.W., January 2026.

Domaine Marcel Couturier has rapidly become a reference in the Mâconnais. Established in 2005 in the commune of Fuissé this small 11 ha estate is relatively new yet has already acquired beautiful vineyard holdings of the main appellations of Mâcon, Loché, Saint-Véran and Fuissé in less than 20 years. Marcel is now assisted by his son Auxence and daughter Cladie who takes responsibility for winemaking since 2017 and Auxence who works the vines with his father has moved the estate to organic and now bio-dynamic farming being certified in 2021 and 2022 respectively. With more hands to undertake work in the vines and improved viticulture the results are clear to see in each of the wines with exceptional purity and precision in each.

Here each vineyard and soil type are vinified separately with natural yeast and vinifications are quite similar for all wines allowing the terroir of each plot to express itself with greatest clarity. All wines are whole bunch pressed with no SO2 added at the press and both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations occur naturally in traditional Burgundy barrels with ageing on fine lees with no battonage and just one racking prior to bottling. There is a lightness of touch to all the wines with no SO2 during elevage and small safe amounts used at bottling (mostly around 11 months of ageing up to 15 months for the top wines) giving wines which offer incredible delicacy and energy with aromatic purity and complexity as a result.

There is notable diversity of soil types in this area with soils not only of limestone and clay but also sandstone and schist in places due to the fault lines causing these hills and mountains to rise up millions of years ago.