Mâcon

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The Mâcon appellation extends over the territory of 89 communes, of which 81 make up the geographical area of wines eligible for the "Villages" designation.
• The Mâconnais forms a succession of parallel ridges tilted toward the east, with the Paleozoic granite or schist basement followed by Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary layers of limestone or clay.
• Soils vary according to the substrate: siliceous and acidic on the Paleozoic basement, sandy and well-draining on granitic arenas, calcareous and sometimes very stony on Jurassic substrates, or decarbonated silty soils on marly substrates.
• The oceanic climate with a southern tendency in the Mâconnais receives Rhône-valley influences via the Saône valley that limit excess humidity, while the barrier of the Monts du Charollais partly shields the area from humid oceanic influences.
• Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, averaging 800 millimetres, the average annual temperature is 11°C, and average sunshine reaches 2000 hours per year.
• Plots intended for white wines are limited to calcareous or lightly decarbonated substrates, while those intended for red wines occupy hillsides across all substrate types, both siliceous and calcareous.
• Plots eligible for the "Villages" designation favour sites with the best meso-climatic conditions, most often with east- and south-facing exposures.

• The presence of vines in the Mâconnais is attested as early as the 3rd century, and viticulture developed in the Middle Ages thanks to the great monastic orders such as the Abbey of Cluny.
• The 1620 edict of the aldermen of Mâcon sought to limit red wines to a fine variety known as petit gamay, while Chardonnay was being planted at the same time for white wines.
• The Mâcon appellation d'origine contrôlée was recognised in 1937, following a coming-together of producers in the early 20th century to defend the name of their region.
• The first cooperative winery was founded in 1926 in Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé, and ten years later there were 15, nicknamed "filles de misère" (daughters of hardship) by their founders.
• In the northern part of the geographical area, practices are closer to those of the neighbouring Châlonnais, with Gamay and Pinot noir, high-density plantings, and Guyot pruning.
• The vines of the central and southern part of the area, mostly planted with Chardonnay for white wines, are pruned according to the local method known as taille à queue.

• Mâcon white wines combine power and finesse, often display an attractive yellow-green colour, and are harmonious, fresh and aromatic, and can be enjoyed young.
• "Villages" wines are full and charming, often marked by aromas of white flowers and fresh fruit with a few citrus nuances, and age well, frequently developing notes of undergrowth, hazelnut, honey and toast over time.
• Mâcon red wines, fleshy and full-bodied, generally develop aromas of small fruits such as blackcurrant or raspberry, with spicy and mineral nuances, and good tannic balance gives them roundness on the palate.
• Mâcon rosé wines are fresh, easy-drinking and fruity, and may be obtained by saignée.

• The climate's southern affinities, combined with the selection of sites most favourable to early soil warming, give Mâcon wines a "southern Burgundy" character, marked by fleshiness and fruitiness on the palate.
• Red wines express their full potential of aromatic freshness, fruitiness and power when they come from well-exposed hillside plots with soils derived from the granite basement.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Mâcon Azé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Bray AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Burgy AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Bussières AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Chaintré AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Chardonnay AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Charnay-lès-Mâcon AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Cruzille AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Davayé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Fuissé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Igé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon La Roche-Vineuse AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Loché AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Lugny AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Mancey AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Milly-Lamartine AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Montbellet AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Pierreclos AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Prissé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Péronne AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Saint-Gengoux-le-National AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Serrières AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Solutré-Pouilly AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Uchizy AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Vergisson AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Verzé AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Villages AOC (PDO)
• Mâcon Vinzelles AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 7 août 2026, JORF 13 août 2026
• Official trade body site — BIVB