Wines Viré-clessé Bonot Père & Fils - Tradition

Bonot Père & Fils’ Viré-Clessé AOC “Cuvée Tradition” is a classic example of a southern Burgundy white, crafted primarily from Chardonnay grapes. As a non-vintage wine, its style tends towards consistency and approachability, with each bottling reflecting the domaine’s house style and the region’s characteristic freshness and supple elegance. The winemaking approach here typically aims to preserve the purity of fruit, with minimal oak influence, resulting in a crisp, lively white that highlights the expressiveness of the grape and the unique character of its terroir.

Viré-Clessé is one of the appellations within the Mâconnais, a region situated in the southernmost tip of Burgundy. The local climate is semi-continental with Mediterranean influences, bringing warmer temperatures and ample sunshine compared to other parts of Burgundy, which assists the Chardonnay in reaching ripe yet balanced maturity. The soils in Viré-Clessé are composed of limestone and clay, often with fossil traces, lending a steely minerality and underlying structure to the wines. The history of winegrowing in this area stretches back to Roman times, and modern Viré-Clessé wines celebrate this heritage with their refined, gastronomic profile.

For food pairing, this Viré-Clessé is wonderfully versatile. Its bright acidity and expressive orchard fruit notes make it a fine match for shellfish such as oysters or scallops, freshwater fish (think pike-perch in a beurre blanc sauce), or classic Burgundian dishes like “poulet à la crème.” Its texture and freshness also work beautifully with mild goat’s cheeses from the region, and it can lift vegetable-based starters or light pasta dishes. For a regional match, consider enjoying it alongside “jambon persillé” or a quenelle de brochet.

Serve this wine well chilled, ideally at 10-12°C. This temperature will accentuate its aromas and preserve the crispness on the palate. Pour into tulip-shaped white wine glasses, and enjoy young to capture all its freshness and vibrant fruit character.