FAMILLE PACQUET

Famille Paquet is a family-owned Burgundy estate based in Davayé in the Mâconnais, at the foot of the dramatic limestone cliffs of Solutré and Vergisson. Today the domaine produces an impressive collection of Chardonnay-led wines across Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé and the Mâcon appellations, combining the generosity of southern Burgundy with increasing precision, minerality and individual vineyard expression.

The family's modern story began in 1980, when Jocelyne and Michel Paquet established Domaine des Valanges with six hectares of vineyards in Davayé. The domaine quickly became particularly recognised for Saint-Véran, while the couple passed their passion for viticulture and winemaking to their three sons, Jean-Baptiste, Mathieu and Camille Paquet.

A major expansion began in 2014 with the acquisition of two hectares in Solutré-Pouilly, principally within the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation. The brothers subsequently took on another ten hectares of Mâcon vineyards, significantly increasing both the size and geographical diversity of the domaine. In 2016, the three brothers officially took over the family property, with Camille responsible for the vineyards and winemaking and Mathieu and Jean-Baptiste overseeing the commercial side of the estate.

In 2019, the family's different holdings were brought together under the single Famille Paquet identity. Today their vineyards comprise around 50 individual parcels spread across almost 30 hectares, an unusually broad collection of sites that allows the brothers to explore the differences between numerous Mâconnais villages, exposures and soil types.

Chardonnay is at the heart of Famille Paquet. Their range travels through the hierarchy of southern Burgundy, from Mâcon-Villages and individual village Mâcon wines through Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé to Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru. Individual bottlings include Mâcon-Davayé, Mâcon-Fuissé Les Bruyères, Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly Le Mont, Saint-Véran Les Cras, Saint-Véran Les Terres Noires and Saint-Véran En Crèches.

At the top of the collection are wines such as Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru En Servy and Au Vignerais. En Servy comes from two small parcels in Solutré-Pouilly planted in 1959, with southeast exposure and clay-limestone soils containing iron-rich clay. The fruit is manually harvested and the wine receives extended maturation in oak followed by stainless steel.

The family's approach to farming has become increasingly important to the identity of the domaine. Conversion to organic agriculture began in 2018, with 2021 becoming the first certified-organic vintage. Famille Paquet has subsequently embraced biodynamic cultivation as a further evolution of its vineyard philosophy, seeking greater soil vitality and clearer expression of individual terroirs.

Rather than treating every vineyard identically, the brothers adapt their work according to each parcel. Different pruning techniques, grass cover and soil cultivation are employed according to site, while organic and biodynamic compost is used to encourage microbial activity. Their objective is not simply sustainable farming but to allow differences between the Mâconnais' numerous limestone-based terroirs to become more visible in the finished wines.

Winemaking follows a similarly restrained philosophy. Intervention is deliberately limited, with the estate seeking to preserve the character of vineyard and vintage rather than imposing a uniform house style. For its Pouilly-Fuissé, for example, Chardonnay is matured on fine lees for 12 months in French oak, including around 20% new oak, followed by six months in tank, creating a combination of texture, fruit and mineral tension.

The resulting wines can offer an attractive middle ground between richness and precision. Famille Paquet's Chardonnay typically combines white and yellow fruits, citrus, floral notes and subtle minerality, while the stronger sites introduce greater concentration, saline character and length. The Premier Cru wines push this further, combining the natural generosity of Pouilly-Fuissé with increasingly detailed site expression.

For Burgundy drinkers looking beyond the Côte d'Or, Famille Paquet represents the increasingly exciting quality found in the Mâconnais. Its combination of family history, extensive vineyard holdings, certified organic farming, biodynamic principles and detailed parcel-by-parcel winemaking makes it particularly compelling for lovers of terroir-driven Chardonnay.

Shop Famille Paquet wines online at Wine More Cellars Australia. Discover Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru and Mâconnais Burgundy with Australia-wide shipping and free delivery on eligible orders over $199.