Let’s head on down to the Mâconnais, the southern stretch of Burgundy where Chardonnay reigns supreme — though it’s not the only grape in town — and prices have remained fair.

Domaine Jean-Marie Chaland can be found at 12 Rue de la Grappe d’Or, literally “Golden Grape Street” in the town of Viré. The Viré-Clessé AOC is one of Burgundy’s newest appellations, designated in just 1999. As we’ve seen all over the Mâconnais, interest in the area’s limestone-rich terroir (and less expensive real estate) has skyrocketed in recent years; Meursault icon Dominique Lafon’s Heritiers line proudly features a Viré-Clessé.

Jean-Marie Chaland is a third-generation wine grower — his grandfather planted the vines in 1930, his father began producing domaine wines in 1967, and Jean-Marie took over in 2000. The vines have never been treated with synthetic herbicides, which made organic certification in 2003 a simple, straightforward process. Every last bunch is harvested by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts.

His Viré-Clessé is a delicious study in Mâconnais terroir and climate: it’s a deeply concentrated, intensely mineral wine with notes of yellow fruits, white flowers, and a wildflower honey-esque floral quality. There’s an unmistakably sun-kissed signature, not surprising considering the 500 additional hours of sunshine Viré receives per year versus Chassagne- or Puligny-Montrachet. A strong, limestone seam of minerality coursing through the wine helps temper the exuberant fruit and aromatics.

Jean-Marie also makes a rather surprising iteration of a rosé Crémant de Bourgogne, made with Gamay, not the more typical Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. In the glass, the pale, onion skin shade of bronze looks more like a Blanc de Noirs than a typical pink sparkling wine. It’s surprisingly elegant for a sparkling Gamay, with tons of savory, toasty brioche and hazelnut notes to complement the delicate strawberry and citrus flavors. If Philip the Bold, the Duke who tried banish Gamay from Burgundy, were to taste this distinctive cuvée, we’re sure he’d end up eating his (ridiculous) hat.

Tried-and-true white Burgundy is always a good idea — especially at Jean-Marie’s very fair prices — but we were so pleasantly surprised by a sparkling, Burgundian Gamay that we had to share our new discovery with you guys. Take advantage of newsletter-only discounting for even better pricing:

Jean-Marie Chaland, Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé 'Perle de Roche', 2020 $32.99

Jean-Marie Chaland, Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes, 2023 $32.99