Viré-Clessé

The Viré-Clessé Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is a village appellation in the Mâconnais region of Saône-et-Loire. Established by a decree dated February 26, 1999, this appellation replaces the former Mâcon-Clessé and Mâcon-Viré appellations for white wines. The production area for Viré-Clessé wine is limited to the communes of Clessé, Laizé, Monbellet, and Viré.

The Viré-Clessé terroir lies on two north-south slopes, bounded by the Bourbonne and Mouge valleys. They consist of Bajocian limestone with entroques and Oxfordian (Jurassic) marl-limestone strata. Other plots at the bottom of the slopes consist of clay soils with “chailles” (sandstone pebbles), facing east and well-drained. “Cray,” a type of Mâconnais soil characterized by limestone and white pebbles, is found here. It is undoubtedly the best soil for Chardonnay. The vineyards of Viré-Clessé are planted at an altitude ranging from 200 to 440 meters.

The Viré-Clessé appellation produces exclusively white wines made from the Chardonnay grape variety, the predominant white grape in Burgundy. The brilliance of pale gold illuminates the color of Viré-Clessé wines. Lively and fresh, slightly sharp yet full of roundness, they offer finesse and suppleness, with a tender and spontaneous character. These qualities are perfectly reflected in the wines of Domaine Chanson Père et Fils and Domaine La Soufrandière.