Guillemot-Michel Quintaine Viré-Clessé ‘Retour a la Térre’ 2023

The Domaine Guillemot-Michel from the hamlet of Quintaine in the Viré-Clessé appellation has been the project of Pierette and Marc Guillemot-Michel since the 1980’s, now joined by their daughter Sophie and their son-in-law Gautier Roussille. These are honeyed, concentrated wines imbued with remarkable concentration and energy, and they develop beautifully in the cellar.

Retour a la Terre 2023 comes from a parcel situated on clay soils, and the elevage is 100% in amphoras, clay vessels, hence the name Return to the Earth. Amphoras deliver micro-oxygenation at about the same rate as Burgundy-size barrels, but without oak flavors, and so this wine is a little more generous at this stage than the Quintaine 2023, which is raised entirely in vats and will develop more slowly. It’s a difference of degree rather than nature, and getting a little of each will help to understand the subtle impact of different elevage.