Domaine de la Croix Senaillet

A short walk from the dramatic rock of Solutre is Davaye, one of the Macon villages close to Fuisse. La Croix Senaillet is run by the meticulous and extremely French Richard Martin. His attention to detail pays off in terroir expression and finesse. 

The name La Croix Senaillet is taken from the name of the cross bestowed upon
the village of Davaye (in the very heart of the Maconnais near Macon), by one of its past mayors; Benoit Senaillet. Record has it that Benoit Senaillet donated this cross to the village in 1866 to replace one that was destroyed in 1793 during the French Revolution. Tradition has it that since its blessing in 1867, Croix Senaillet has protected the people of the village and all those who pass by it on their way… 

Domaine de la Croix Senaillet is in Southern Burgundy, in Davaye in the very heart of the Maconnais Cru area. Maurice Martin settled in Davaye and then fully devoted his life to the vines from 1969. Due to his unfailing doggedness, a truly strong character, with his wife and family to back him up, without whom nothing would have been possible, the family estate slowly grew. Today the 26 hectares of the estate covers a mosaic of over 150 different plots of vines that are part of the “Grand Site de France” of Solutre – Pouilly – Vergisson. The vines, with an average age of 40 years old, are exclusively of the Chardonnay grape variety. Most of the plots face the rising sun on gentle slopes that extend from the eastern faces of Solutre and Vergisson. 

Richard and Stephane Martin took over the estate in 1992, bringing with them new blood, new ideas and a single watchword; quality. Stephane’s responsibility is in the vineyard while Richard oversees the cellar. The cellar, built in 1989, was modernized in 2000-2002 and again in 2006. Since the 90s the Martin brothers, strong partisans of integrated agriculture, have been protecting their vines with a treatment strategy of minimum intervention, to have healthy vines, with no pollution and respect for the environment over the long term. Certified by Agriculture Biologique in 2006. 

The soil is marly chalk from the middle and upper Jurassic period. With this in alteration is clayey silt that can be carried along the slopes by rainwater. When this happens, the soil is quite shallow and mainly chalky at the top of the slope and deeper and more clayey at the bottom. 

As soon as the grapes arrive in the cellar, they are very gently pressed and then go through a very slow alcoholic fermentation at low temperatures for around 4 months. The must undergo malolactic fermentation producing a wine that is less sharp, more rounded and microbiologically stable.