Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Viré-Clessé En Châtelaine comes from old Chardonnay muscaté vines and sees a year's élevage in cement. Bursting with aromas of orange rind, citrus blossom and musky peach, it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, with good tension at the core and an aromatic finish. Readers who appreciate the wines of this distinctive appellation will find much to admire.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Inhabiting the best of the upper half of the Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé, created from the delineation of the two top Mâcon Villages, produces lively, charming and full-bodied whites (of Chardonnay). Lemon balm, verbena, white peach, and mint evolve with graceful age to quince jam, spice, pine and brown butter. The aromatic intensity of Viré-Clessé suits itself to herb-laden poultry, as well as sautéed shrimp or vegetables. It is also the perfect partner to Camembert or goat cheese.