Eve & Michel Rey Macon Vergisson La Roche 2018

Eve and Michel Rey produce natural, honest white Burgundy in miniscule quantities from the finest terroir in the Mâconnais. Their “La Roche” vineyards—Mâcon-Vergisson and Pouilly-Fuissé—are not only the highest vineyards in their respective appellations but also deliver the purest expressions of Chardonnay in the region, bar none. The Reys moved to Vergisson in 1988, as Michael was hired as a vineyard manager for a regional winemaker. Bit by bit, the couple saved their money and purchased small yet select parcels whenever they could. From the soil to the cellar, Michel and Eve do everything by hand, and it’s just the two of them—such diligence and dedication is what makes their bottles so special. They don’t have tons of vineyards; they don’t overextend. Through hard work and savvy winemaking, this duo is mentioned now in the same breath with Vergisson’s leading artisans, such as Daniel Barraud and Jean-Marie Guffens. While the word “artisan” is so often bandied about in wine, it is winemakers like the Reys who are true artisans, crafting with four hands works of vinous art, each and every vintage. Eve and Michel Rey care for their vines as naturally as possible, and because they have so few vineyards, they’re able to care for all their vines by hand. They only use organic treatments, if treatments are needed at all, and plow the soil instead of using herbicides. Grapes are crushed whole cluster in a gentle pneumatic press, and fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Wines are aged for a minimum of 10 months in mostly older French oak barrels. Very little sulfur is added at any stage; and wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.