An Unbeatable Burgundy Bargain
Year after year, this remains one of the best values in all of Burgundy—and the 2023 vintage is no exception. This is the spring release of a wine I first wrote up last fall, and tasting it again only reinforced what I already knew: as an everyday white, it's absolutely divine. Frankly, it would still be a bargain at twice the price.
In my constant hunt for standout White Burgundy at a reasonable price, I spend a lot of time tasting through the Maconnais. The region can be hit or miss—some wines are rustic, others lack precision—but every once in a while, a vintage and a producer come together to deliver something special. That’s exactly what Domaine Thévenet has achieved with their 2023 Macon-Villages Blanc. Rosenthal Wine Merchants describe it as a “workhorse white,” but make no mistake—this is no plow horse. It’s graceful, pure, and quietly stunning.
The Thévenet family has deep roots in the Maconnais, with vineyards spread across Pierreclos, Serrières, Prissé, Bussières, and Milly-Lamartine. Chardonnay is the cornerstone of their production, alongside red wines from Gamay and Pinot Noir. Beyond winemaking, the family also runs a respected nursery, cultivating vine clones sought after from Champagne to Burgundy.
Since taking over in 2008, brothers Benjamin, Jonathan, and Aurélien have expanded the domaine from 3 to 30 hectares while maintaining a laser focus on quality—a testament to both their vision and the legacy of their father, Jean-Claude.
Tasting the 2023 with our team was one of those moments. It made the room go quiet in the best way—just a few raised eyebrows and hushed exclamations of “wow.” Fermented in stainless steel, with no oak and extended lees aging, this wine is a masterclass in purity and texture. It’s bursting with tart green and golden apples, framed by a salty chalkiness and lifted by notes of citrus and apple blossom. There’s a richness to the mid-palate that keeps you coming back sip after sip.
This wine captures what makes the Maconnais so exciting right now. It may not be the Côte d’Or—but it is very much Burgundy. And in the hands of the Thévenet family, that means something remarkable.
