Three Regions of France!

This 2006 Macon-Vergisson La Roche is produced by Verget with grapes from three different regions of France, Macon, Coted'Or, and Chablis.  The 2006 Macon-Vergisson La Roche is a chardonnay that cost eighteen dollars.

Jean-Marie Guffens was a wine broker for five years and then he created his dream in 1990, Verget.  He travels around vineyards looking for the best grapes in France.  He conveys that "the best wine is made using the best grapes."  The Verget team work with the vineyards to determine when the best time to pick the grapes with rigorous analysis.  When they determine the best time to pick the grapes the Verget's team hand picks the grapes from each vineyard and places them in 40kg crates to preserve them.  They are then placed in Vegret's cellars to preserve their valuable condition.  Read more about Verget and Mr. Guffens wine adventure. 

In the Chablis region of France the chardonnay grape is grown in a more clay and chalk in the soil giving it a more mineral and citrus character.  In the Cote d'Or region and Macon region in France has warmer weather allowing a little longer growing time. These two regions have higher elevation giving the chardonnay grape a more tropical fruit flavors.

Lets look at label:

• The year it was produced, 2006.
• The name of the wine, Macon Vergisson.
• The Verget Estate that it was produced at is listed next.  Appellation Macon Vergisson Controlee.
• The far bottom right corner has the Verget symbol.

I find this wine to be Trocken.  Trocken means the wine is dry.  To make a wine dry they usally ferment the grapes until there is not sugar left.  So no matter how ripe and sweet the grapes are the wine ends of being dry.  I found a hint of green apple in the taste and a strong mineral taste.  This wine smells minerals and a light apple smell.  I feel that the mineral taste and the wine being to dry isn't something I like.  I paired this wine with tequila shrimp and citrus.  I feel that any seafood that doesn't have a sweet taste to the palette would be good with this wine.  The dryness of this wine would not complement any sweet foods.  If you like a dry wine I think you would like this wine. 

Robert Parker for Wine Advocate rates this wine at 88 and gave this review:

The 2006 Macon-Vergission La Roache smells of ripe apricot, buddleia, lemon and chalk dust.  Quite soft in texture and expansive, yet somehow refreshing on the palate, this relaxed, early drinking responded well to a regimen split evenly between stainless steel and barrels a third of which were new.

In the Macon, at least, Jean_Marie Guffen is convinced that in 2006 "you had the choice between picking too early or picking to late.  I choose the former.  The sugar levels were high in either case, the acidity was low and the grapes were beginning to rot"  guffens ran his picking crew ragged between Macon, Coted'Or, and Chabli, with more felicitous results in the two last named sectors.  (For notes on the 2006 Chablis at Verget, please consult my report in issue 179.)  In the Cote d'Or, Guffens was more successful this year than in 2005, a vintage he thinks is in general over rated and unlikelu to stand the test of time.  He was sparing with batonnage in 2006, and as always highly selective in pressing and in retention of lees(meaning he had fewer to work with).

 I disagree with Robert Parker all the little he did say.  I did not smell the lemon or apricot.  I thought the mineral smell overpowered the wine.  He doesn't say anything about this wine being dry and it is very dry.  There is no mention of a mineral taste either.  I did not find it refreshing.

The International Wine Cellar gave the 2006 Macon-Vergisson La Roache 90 along with this review:

Medium chartreuse-green color. Smoky, mineral-accented pear and peach scents are deepened by iodine and toasty lees. Pliant orchard fruits on the palate, with a bitter pear skin quality adding dryness and carrying into the finish. Finishes with firm mineral grip.

I feel this review is more appropriate for this wine except he gave the wine a 90.  I didn't smell the peach.  I can see were he gets the pear.  I found it to be more of a green apple but sometimes that is do to people having different pallets.  This wine is very dry and he is right about the "firm mineral grip."