2017 Viré-Clessé Cuvée Levroutée
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Tasting notes
We’ve long been fans of Domaine de la Bongran, a curious little estate in Viré-Clessé producing delicious and distinct white Burgundies. Their Cuvée Levroutée is only made in exceptional years, using some botrytised fruit and made in an off-dry style; as with their other wines, it is aged exclusively in stainless steel to allow the terroir to shine. The 2017 is the first release of the cuvée in over a decade, with the previous vintage produced 2006. The fruit comes from specific parcels with marl-rich soils that retain humidity and therefore encourage the development of noble rot, while also producing Chardonnay with a beautiful backbone of acidity. The 2017, made with around 25% botrytised fruit, is still incredibly young, with the bite of Seville orange pith, honey and richer peach on the nose, leading on to a lush palate that offers a rush of stone fruit, reined in by a line of mineral citrus. The 17g/l residual sugar is beautifully integrated, and zesty notes linger on the long finish, keeping the wine impressively fresh and balanced. Winemaker Gautier Thévenet tells us that within three to five years the wine tends to seem dry, the sugar integrating with the body of the wine and becoming even more complex. Just 4,200 bottles were produced.
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Neal Martin, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Viré-Clessé Cuvée Levroutée is now on the market, and it is the first time the Thevent family has been able to produce this cuvée since 2006. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, caramelized pineapple, mandarin, white flowers, pine resin and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and textural, with a layered core, racy acids and appreciable residual sweetness and structural tension, but it's already more integrated and expressive than it was last year, so it appears to be coming into its stride.
The 2017 Viré-Clessé Cuvée Levroutée comes from marn soils, a parcel that is humid enough to produce botrytis only in certain years. It has a slightly petrolly bouquet of dried honey, peach skin and a touch of melted candle wax. It's still very youthful. The palate is smooth and harmonious, with a light viscosity thanks to the 16g/l residual sugar and pin-point acidity. Honey, lanolin and white pepper appear towards the finish. Very long. Superb.
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.