"We began working with Jean-Claude Thevenet in 1982. At that point, having taken responsibility for this family domaine in 1971 from his father, Raymond, when their holdings were a mere three (3) hectares, Jean-Claude was in the process of building the domaine to its current size of thirty (30) hectares with vineyards centered on their village of Pierreclos at the heart of the Maconnais. In addition to working their own vineyards, the Thevenet family, for three generations, has also conducted a successful nursery business producing fine quality grape vines for many family-owned domaines in Burgundy and also in the Champagne district. Over the thirty years of our commercial relationship, Jean-Claude and his wife, Helene, and now his three sons (Benjamin, Jonathan and Aurelien), have performed at a remarkable, and consistently high, level producing wines of honesty and purity and fine value. This is the kind of relationship at the core of our business: one that functions seamlessly through good times and difficult moments and turns into friendship as well. So, we lost a treasured companion when Jean-Claude passed away in 2008 at the too-young age of 54; but, we are comforted by the presence of his three talented and dedicated progeny, all functioning under the rigorous supervision of their mother, Helene. The vineyard holdings now extend throughout Pierreclos and into the neighboring villages of Serrieres, Prisse, Bussieres and Milly-Lamartine. Chardonnay is the dominant grape and Gamay and Pinot Noir produce the red wines of the estate. The grapes are machine-harvested, allowing for stemless picking, as stems are often responsible for bitter tannins in winemaking. The harvested grapes are immediately taken to the cellars for vatting. Punching down and pumping over are performed to extract color. After alcoholic fermentation, a second fermentation, called malolactic fermentation, occurs shortly afterward. The wine is then racked and aged on its fine lees until bottling. Tasting: This is a powerful and tannic wine, with notes of black or ripe fruit depending on the vintage. It is a wine for medium to long aging but can be enjoyed after 2-3 years of cellaring. It pairs very well with red meats, game, or simply dishes with sauces. When sufficiently aged, aromas of fruit in brandy appear, along with some reductive aromas. It is therefore necessary to decant this wine in order to aerate it and appreciate all its aromas.