2022 La Soufrandiere La Combe Desroches Biodynamic St-Veran Maconnais, Burgundy

The 2022 Saint-Véran Cuvée La Combe Desroches comes from north-facing vines. It has a lovely, fresh, peppermint-tinged bouquet that has a skip in its step. It's vivacious. The palate is very well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity. The 2022 is an elegant Saint-Véran with touches of lemon curd and white pepper towards the finish. What a delightful, sprightly Mâconnais.

90 points Neal Martin vinous.com

La Soufrandière La Combe Desroches Biodynamic St-Véran is a beautifully sculpted Chardonnay from the Mâconnais that captures both the power and finesse of this underrated corner of southern Burgundy. Sourced from high-altitude, limestone-rich vineyards in the commune of Chasselas, this wine is a testament to the Bret Brothers’ precise, low-intervention winemaking and deep commitment to biodynamic farming.

La Combe Desroches is a steep, east-facing vineyard nestled in a cool, wind-exposed hollow—hence the name Combe—which delivers fruit with intense freshness and a tightly wound mineral edge. Certified biodynamic by Demeter, the vineyard has been farmed without synthetic chemicals for over two decades, with every step in the vineyard and winery focused on maximising purity and terroir expression. Grapes are hand harvested, whole-bunch pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged in older French oak barrels and foudres, allowing the site’s character to shine through without makeup.

The wine opens with aromas of Meyer lemon, green apple, crushed rock, and delicate white florals. The palate is racy and linear, with citrus and orchard fruit layered over a chalky core, finishing with a clean, saline snap. It’s more restrained and tightly coiled than La Bonnode, offering tension and serious structure with a long future ahead.

Perfect with fresh seafood, grilled vegetables, or goat’s cheese tart, La Soufrandière’s La Combe Desroches is a crystalline, high-altitude Chardonnay that showcases the precision and potential of biodynamic farming in the Mâconnais.