Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Retour a La Terre 2024
Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Retour a La Terre 2024 is a dry, medium-bodied white from Chardonnay (Vire-Clesse, France), in the rich, round whites style. Acidity is fresh; oak influence is little. Good with roast chicken, salmon, creamy pasta, lobster. Drink now or within 20 years (to about 2046). No need to decant. Biodynamic farming is mentioned by the merchant. Critic score 94/100 (merchant-reported). Cheapest offer £38.66 at 8wines UK.
| Wine | Sweet | Body | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meneghetti White 2023 Meneghetti · Istria | £39.64 | |||
| Manincor Sophie Chardonnay 2024 Manincor · Trentino-Alto Adige | £36.04 | |||
| Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Quintaine 2023 Guillemot-Michel · Burgundy | £34.01 | |||
| Tzora Judean Hills Blanc 2025 Tzora · Judean Hills | £34.00 |
Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Founded in the 1980s by Pierrette Michel and Marc Guillemot, Domaine Guillemot-Michel is a small, family-run biodynamic winery located in the Vire-Clesse appellation in Burgundy. The estate covers approximately 6.5 hectares of vineyards and produces two still wines based on Chardonnay (the area's signature grape) and a sparkling wine. In recent years, Pierrette and Marc have been joined by their daughter Sophie and her husband Gautier. Retour à la Terre is a cuvée created for the first time in 2017 with Chardonnay grapes from low-yielding, over-60-year-old vines planted on clay soil in the Champ-Rond vineyard. After harvest, the wine is fermented in large terracotta vats. In the glass, the wine reveals a bright straw-yellow color. Its aromatic profile is fragrant and fresh, with notes of citrus and white peach, mirabelle plum, and melon, followed by floral notes. On the palate, it's fruity and crisp, juicy and well-structured, with a pleasant acidity and a finish that recalls sweet notes of dried apricot. Leave it in the cellar for a few years or enjoy its exuberant fruitiness with Pad Thai, white fish, or chicken fricassee.