Domaine André Bonhomme
The wines of André Bonhomme were a happy discovery during our scouting expedition for affordable burgundy at ProWein this year. The estate was founded by André and wife Gisèle in 1956, making it the first domaine of what is now the Viré-Clessé appellation. Back then they just had four hectares of vines which they’d inherited from André’s father Joseph, who grew grapes for the cooperative in the village of Viré. The wines have always been bottled at the domaine, which now extends to 12 hectares of vineyards. These have been organically farmed since 2001 and certified from vintage 2014.
2020 André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé Les Hauts des Ménards
Bonhomme's Viré-Clessé Les Hauts des Ménards comes from an old parcel planted 85 years ago. The shallow clay-limestone of this fairly steep slope has a large proportion of red clay. Fermentation and maturation take place in oak casks over 24 months before bottling. The wine is naturally rich with a beautiful structure balanced by a refreshing minerality which also contributes to its satisfying length.
Tasting Notes
Bright yellow with a gold tinge. Sexy, expressive, very ripe scents of dried apricot, ripe peach, white pepper and hazelnut. Very rich, smooth, ripe and silky but youthfully unforthcoming in the middle palate. This plush wine finishes powerful and very long, with a touch of citrus peel firmness and a tannic quality I did not pick up in the other 2014s at this address. Less harmonious than the other 2014 Viré-Clessé examples but a complete wine nevertheless (like the Prêtres de Quintaine and Côteau de l'Epinet, this was bottled two days prior to my visit).
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