History
Maison Auvigue was established in the Mâconnais in 1946 by Francis Auvigue, descendent of several generations of vignerons, in partnership with two friends.
Brothers Jean-Pierre and Michel Auvigue took over the family business during the 1970s.
In 2016, Sylvain Brenas-Auvigue (Jean-Pierre and Michel’s nephew, and Francis’ great grandson) took over the Maison. A firm intention to pursue the family history, an unconditional love for the terroir and a strong determination to preserve the environment. There is no place for half-measure: with Sylvain, amongst the vines or in the cellar, intervetion is reduced to the bare minimum.
Winemaker Céline Hirsh shares this approach. Alsatian of origin, she joined the venture in 2018, replacing previous winemaker Michel, who then retired in 2019. During the year prior to his departure, they worked together, and Céline learnt the ‘Auvigue style’ – an emphasis on freshness, minerality and true terroir expression. She is not only in charge of the winemaking but also manages the estate's 7ha of vines.
Since August 2019, Maison Auvigue has been going through organic conversion.
The Vineyards
The vineyards grow around the rock of Solutré - a spectacular, prehistoric limestone cliff. The vineyards face south-east, giving the grapes maximum benefit of the exposure to the sun. Soils are formed of cretaceous sedimentary rock, clayey-limestone and flint-type topsoil. The vines here are mature, with an average age of 20 years old.
As is the case for many Burgundian producers, the continental climate coupled with unpredictable weather hazards, such as rain, hail and frost, means the vineyards work is extremely important. Céline and her team must pay careful attention to detail in their work for the best results - producing gentle wines with supple ripeness and underpinned freshness, which is born of working with nature.
Harvest is carried out by hand, ensuring complete care is taken when picking and handling the grapes to limit the risk of damage and oxidation. It, of course, also lends itself to meticulous sorting at every stage so that only the very best fruit is selected.
