Alexis Duchet is the seventh generation to work the land in Viré, a tiny village in southern Burgundy. In 1937, the winegrowers of Viré were offered AOC status, but they said no. They were selling all their wine at a good price, so why pay extra tax just for official recognition? By 1963 they'd changed their minds and applied, but the INAO said no. So they waited. In 1997, they finally said yes, and Viré-Clessé was born.
Alexis' father led the way and stopped using chemicals in the 1980s when he saw erosion problems, and he farmed organically despite the co-op offering no extra money for his grapes. The domaine is now certified organic. Alexis took over 9.5 hectares, 7 in Viré-Clessé and 2.5 in Mâcon-Villages. Before that, he travelled, did winemaking stints in Margaret River, Ontario (!!!!), Meursault, and Savoie.
This Mâcon-Villages comes from very old vines on the lower slopes of Viré. Early morning harvest, indigenous yeast, total SO2 under 30mg/L (which is very little!). Similar soil and climate to Pouilly-Fuissé, just a stone's throw away, but a fraction of the price.
As refined as a perfectly knitted white cotton sweater you put on at dawn on Labour Day weekend. Thick but not choking, fleshy, a bit intense. White peach, dried honey, freshly squeezed lime, apricot on the finish, and a core of acidity that holds it all together. Nothing tropical about it. Just pure, refined Chardonnay.
Drink it with roast chicken, with creamy pasta, with scallops drenched in butter because is there even another way to scallop?
