Vire-Clesse

A fresh pale colour, this is beautifully concentrated on the nose but not at all fleshy, and then a wealth of fruit kicks in on the palate. All is neatly harnessed, the vintage and the appellation marrying well. A wine full of energy. Drink 2018-2021.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Dominique Lafon and his cellar master, Caroline Gon, took a great deal of trouble in 2015 to get their picking dates exactly right. They started on 28th August and picked their Mâconnais wines across a 13-day period, as each sector ripened, with the result that they have avoided high sugar levels and have kept the desired element of freshness in their wines.

Coming from 60-year-old-plus vines, this was harvested not overly late in order to avoid the ultraripe, honeyed style of Viré-Clessé. Indeed, the nose is bright and balanced. On the palate there is yellow fruit – a huge volume of it – yet with a crisp, crunchy finish.

The 2014 wines were all bottled just before the 2015 harvest using Diam10 corks, and the crus – such as Viré-Clessé – have a slightly different label (effectively the same as those for the other Mâconnais wines but with the colours inverted). Dominique thinks that 2014 is not only an excellent vintage, but also remarkably consistent for every part of the Mâconnais. The entire range is a joy this year.