Viré-Clessé

The Viré-Clessé appellation d'origine contrôlée is a village appellation in the Mâconnais region of Saône-et-Loire. Created by decree on February 26, 1999, this appellation replaces the former appellations Mâcon-Clessé and Mâcon-Viré for white wines. The Viré-Clessé production zone 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 are composed of Bajocian entrocal limestone and Oxfordian (Jurassic) marl-limestone strata. Other terrain on the lower slopes is made up of "chailles" clays (sandstone pebbles), facing east and well drained. Cray", a type of Mâconnais calcareous soil with white pebbles, is found here. This is undoubtedly the best soil for Chardonnay. Viré-Clessé vines are planted at altitudes of between 200 and 440 meters.

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