Senior editor and tasting director Bruce Sanderson joined Wine Spectator in 1993. His tasting beats are Burgundy, Italy and Germany.

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A $15 Chardonnay from a Value Region of France

Domaine des Chazelles Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes 2009

Bruce Sanderson
Posted: September 21, 2011

As summer receded with a damp exit, I took advantage of the last corn, along with some tomatoes from Union Square Greenmarket this weekend. I popped a bottle of one of my favorite whites this summer: Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes 2009 from Domaine des Chazelles.

I often write about the Mâconnais region of Burgundy as a source of value Chardonnay, and this white is a perfect example. At $15, it delivers ripe apricot and peach fruit on a round, plush frame. If there’s any wood used, it doesn’t taste like new oak, just unabashed Chardonnay fruit from a ripe vintage. (88 points, non-blind.)

I purchased a bottle earlier in the year and liked it so much that I bought a half-dozen for a party I hosted in June. Fortunately, there were a few left over to enjoy as June passed and September all too quickly arrived.

WineSpectator.com members: Get scores and tasting notes for recently rated Top Values in white Burgundy.