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Tasting notes
Made by father and son team Jean and Gautier Thévenet, this is unquestionably one of the great value white wines of Burgundy. Low yields and long lees ageing help produce a wine of huge concentration and complexity. The 2017 Viré-Clessé has an impressive bouquet that shoots out of the glass – honeyed, with lots of rounded, white fruit aromas. There is fantastic concentration and complexity; you can feel this is a diamond in the making. On the palate the wine is round, creamy yet with excellent freshness, driven by nervy acidity that’s accompanied by notes of beeswax and toast. The mid-palate adds an extra layer of complexity with elegant white peach and greengage notes. This vintage is more concentrated than 2016, due to the lower yields, and this shows on the palate. The finish is gourmand and long, fine and accentuated with more white fruit notes. The best Viré-Clessé Gautier Thévenet ever produced? Time will tell!
Critic scores
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Viré-Clessé, which will be bottled at the beginning of 2022, has a killer nose with an almost Germanic feel, intense nectarine, melon and damp earthy scents with just a hint of petrol. The palate is beautifully balanced with a line of acidity keeping everything taut and linear. The 2017 is a little waxy in texture with orange rind, stem ginger and white pepper furnishing the very persistent finish. This is superb - a Viré-Clessé with genuine substance and longevity.
About the producer
Domaine de la Bongran is no ordinary Mâconnais estate. Since Jean Thévenet took over the domaine in 1972, this Viré-Clessé producer has become a cult name – with Jean a pioneer of organics and minimal intervention, as well as the estate’s unique wine style.