Jean-Marie Chaland, Domaine de Sainte Barbe

Jean-Marie Chaland is a low-key winegrower who cultivates his 9.5 hectares of vines in the heart of the Mâconnais region, in the communes of Viré, Monbellet and Burgy. Certified organic since 2003, his vineyard comprises 23 plots, with vines averaging over 50 years of age.

He is one of the artisan winemakers of southern Burgundy, alongside the likes of Nicolas Maillet, Nicolas Delfaud, Philippe Valette and Julien Guillot. A sure bet for connoisseurs of elegant, unadorned Burgundy wines who particularly appreciate the minerality, purity and salinity of the wines.

The Jean-Marie Chaland estate in figures

• Area: 9.5 hectares
• Municipalities: Viré, Montbellet and Burgy
• Number of plots: 23
• Viré-Clessé: 5.60 hectares
• Mâcon-Villages and Mâcon: 2.22 hectares
• Red Burgundy: 0.60 ha
• Mâcon-Burgy: 0.80 hectares

An exceptional terroir

Jean-Marie Chaland’s vineyard consists mainly of south-east-facing slopes that benefit from the microclimate of the Saône Valley. The marl-limestone soils are largely the result of the weathering of Bathonian oolitic limestone.

Most of the vines are planted on the mid-slopes across a variety of terroirs, stretching from the southern part of the village of Viré to the hamlet of ‘Thurissey’ in Montbellet.

The average age of the vineyard is 50 years. Mass selection is used to ensure genetic diversity in the vineyards.

The estate produces an average of 50,000 bottles a year, including six single-vineyard wines from Viré-Clessé, a Mâcon-Villages, a red Burgundy, a red Mâcon-Burgy, and white and rosé wines made using the Champagne method.

Environmentally friendly methods

The vineyard has always been tended and tilled without the use of synthetic herbicides, to ensure the soil is treated with respect and the terroir is allowed to express itself fully. Certified organic since 2003. Grapes are harvested exclusively by hand; vinification uses indigenous yeasts, and ageing lasts between 10 and 24 months, depending on the cuvée. Every effort is made to ensure the wines offer a refined character, freshness and elegance: the hallmark of the terroir.

The history of the Sainte Barbe estate

Victor, Jean-Marie Chaland’s grandfather, began cultivating vines in the 1930s. His father, Jean-Noël, took over in 1967 with his first vintage produced at the estate. It was in 2000 that Jean-Marie founded Domaine Sainte Barbe with Ewellina, on a 4-hectare site.

A few photos of the Jean-Marie Chaland estate