Winemaker Notes
Sourced from multiple parcels in the Viré commune.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, clear honey, oatmeal and white flowers, the 2019 Viré-Clessé is medium to full-bodied, satiny and textural, with a tightly wound core and chalky grip on the finish. This important cuvée for the domaine was harvested in seven different picks this year.
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Decanter
The wine is produced in a rich, luxuriant style, with aromas of ripe apricots and quince. The texture is dense - some will find this perhaps a bit heavy - but Lafon says this corresponds to the style of the commune. From a number of parcels all located within the village of Viré, totalling 6ha. The grapes are pressed as whole bunches and fermented in large oak uprights, as well as large casks, before ageing for ten months on the lees. Window 2021 - 2029
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.