The Maconnais is a charming, impossibly picturesque subregion of Burgundy at its southern end. Quaint stone farmhouses and Charolais cattle dot a rolling countryside that lazily switches between lush green pastures and fields of vines. The wines coming from this region have never been better, and we’re thrilled to have expanded our portfolio here substantially in the last few years.
One shining star form this region is a family in Viré-Clessé firmly to organic and biodynamic principles since before it was trendy. We discovered these folks decades ago when we lived in the area, bought this wine enthusiastically for many years on behalf of friends and family. Today we’re delighted that we are now able to offer the results of this superb winemaking under a private label: “Forces Telluriques.”
In recent years the domaine has won praise from today’s top writers. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley writes of the wine’s “remarkable concentration and energy.” Jasper Morris MW calls them “brilliant… refined, pure, complex, lush.” Raised exclusively en cuve (no oak), it’s an exquisite expression of pure chardonnay.
The 2021 Forces Telluriques is a triumph. The domaine harvested slowly, over about 15 days, achieving 13.2% naturally – a real feat in a cool vintage. The resulting wine is superb, showing ripeness without weight, a wine that is lively and alive. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley gave 93 points, finding “Aromas of clear honey, white flowers, beeswax and sweet spices” calling it “a suave and vibrant wine that’s satiny, bright and fine-boned, concluding with a bright, gently exotic finish.”
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Forces Telluriques Viré-Clessé 2021
bottle price: $45
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES
