Mâcon domaine of the Bret brothers, making named site Chardonnay with organic and biodynamic farming.
The producer
Domaine La Soufrandière is the Bret brothers' Mâcon domaine, with about six hectares farmed biodynamically in Pouilly-Vinzelles and Mâcon-Vinzelles and a further five hectares worked organically in Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé. The range includes Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts and Mâcon-Vinzelles Le Clos de Grand-Père, with wines that are balanced, vibrant and marked by their terroir.
Known for
Mâcon Chardonnay from named sites
Notable facts
The property was bought in 1947 by the Bret family's paternal grandfather.
The changeover to organic and biodynamic farming began in 2003, with certification achieved in 2006.
Annual production is fewer than 60,000 bottles.
The story
Coquette in the Vineyards
In 2008, the Bret brothers began horse ploughing for soil tillage with a Trait Comtoise mare named Coquette. Laurent helped them try the experiment, bringing the mare into the vineyard work. The practice sits alongside the estate's organic and biodynamic farming. The adventure is not over yet.
From the atlas
Domaine La Soufrandière
Vinzelles domaine of Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret, with named Chardonnay sites and hand harvested grapes fermented with naturally present yeasts.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place
Vinzelles in the Mâcon area
Appellations
Pouilly-Vinzelles, Mâcon-Vinzelles, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé
Main grape
Chardonnay, with Aligoté also planted
Signature wine
Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts
Farming
Organic and biodynamic vineyard work
The Producer
Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret took over estate management in 2000 after withdrawing their family vineyards around Vinzelles from the local cooperative. They established La Soufrandière, paid closer attention to vineyard work, lowered yields and selected more rigorously. The property had been bought in 1947 by their paternal grandfather.
The domaine holds approximately 11.5 hectares across Pouilly-Vinzelles, Mâcon-Vinzelles, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé, with 0.50 hectares of Aligoté. Organic and biodynamic certification was achieved in 2006 after the changeover began in 2003. Bud pruning limits yields to around 40 hl/ha.
Grapes are hand harvested, delicately crushed and pressed for three hours. After natural clarification, the must ferments in casks aged between six and 18 years or in vats, using the yeasts naturally present on the grapes. No new casks are used.
Place
The vineyards sit around Vinzelles in the Mâcon area, across appellations that give the range its names. Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts is a four hectare climat, while Mâcon-Vinzelles Le Clos de Grand-Père comes from a one hectare site. In Burgundy, a climat is a named vineyard site within an appellation, so these names identify specific pieces of ground rather than broad regional wines.
Wines
Mâcon-Vinzelles Le Clos de Grand-Père is the entry level wine in the range. It is full of fruit and elegance. Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts is the named site Chardonnay from southeast facing vines aged 40 to 68 years old, produced for long term aging.
Les Quarts is aged in 228 liter oak barrels for 11 months, then spends six more months in tank for natural settling. The two wines place the range between an accessible Mâcon-Vinzelles bottle and a site specific Pouilly-Vinzelles wine built for time.
Final Word
Domaine La Soufrandière makes balanced, vibrant wines that reveal the terroir of its named Mâcon sites.