Burgundy wine lovers will soon see a new appellation on bottles of white wine from the Mâcon district: Viré-Clessé. The wines were previously classified as Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-Viré or Mâcon-Clessé.

"For the past 35 years, there has been a demand for the village appellation, in Viré especially, and four years ago these two respective communes were put forward for reclassification," said Jean Thevenet, owner of Domaine de la Bongran in the Mâconnais.

Only dry white wines made from the typical Burgundian white variety, Chardonnay, are made in Viré-Clessé. The region makes an average of 300,000 cases of wine per year from 1,300 acres of vineyards.

EMILIAN GILLET

Mâcon-Viré Quintaine 1997
Understated, its intense ripe fruit, honey and spice in a supple texture. Firm grip on the sweet-tasting yet lemony finish.