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Tasting Notes
The Thévenet family always holds back their wines, with the flagship Viré-Clessé spending five years in the cellar, divided between tank and then time in bottle. Tasted twice over the last few months, the 2020 is one of their best releases in recent years. With its alluring golden colour, the wine instantly offers an expressive, exotic nose with pineapple, peach, passion fruit and honey, with a zing of grapefruit pith giving bite. The palate is lush and mouthwatering with a lovely balance between the core of generous fruit and a line of minerality, as well as bright green-apple acidity, and a twist of orange peel and honey on the lingering finish.
Critic Scores
Neal Martin, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Viré-Clessé Quintainé Cuvée E.J. Thevenet was matured in epoxy-lined vats to regulate the temperate and oxygen ingress. The alcoholic fermentation finished around the beginning of summer. What a beautiful nose: dried honey, dandelion and a touch of lanolin coming through with time. This is very pure. The palate is slightly viscous on the entry, with admirable weight, a little waxiness and touches of ginger and curry leaf towards the complex finish. Recommended.
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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.