Franck Michel and his nephew, Vincent, took over the domaine from Franck’s father, René in 1996. Franck is the cellar master and runs the day-to-day at the domaine while Vincent is in charge of the vineyards. The Michel family has been producing Mâconnais wines for six generations in the village of ‘Cray.’ Since 1998, when the Viré-Clessé appellation was created, the Michels have produced a lineup of four Viré-Clessés and a small amount of Mâcon-Villages from vines they own just outside of Viré-Clessé. Their total exploitation amounts to 37 acres. 100% Chardonnay is planted on clay-limestone soils. The average age of the vines is 50 years.

The domaine uses organic fertilizer and regular plowing to contribute to soil health and help maintain the ecological balance of each plot. They carry out winter pruning and green pruning to control yields and produce grapes of the greatest possible richness. Harvest is conducted exclusively by hand, ensuring that the grapes are carefully sorted and picked at their peak of ripeness.

Their vinification process is deliberately slow and natural, involving no addition of commercial yeasts and no chaptalization. To best express the nuances of the terroir, their wines rest on their fine lees until the completion of malolactic fermentation. Depending on the specific terroir, their cuvées are aged for anywhere from eight to over twenty months prior to bottling.