Jean-Claude Thevenet St. Veran "Clos de l'Ermitage V.V." 2021

We began working with Jean-Claude Thevenet in 1982. At that point, having taken responsibility for this family domaine in 1971 from his father, Raymond, when their holdings were a mere three (3) hectares, Jean-Claude was in the process of building the domaine to its current size of thirty (30) hectares with vineyards centered on their village of Pierreclos at the heart of the Maconnais. In addition to working their own vineyards, the Thevenet family, for three generations, has also conducted a successful nursery business producing fine quality grape vines for many family-owned domaines in Burgundy and also in the Champagne district.

This « prestige » cuvée is produced from the oldest vines in a five-hectare parcel exploited entirely as a « monopole » by the Thevenet family. The average age of the south-facing Chardonnay vines located in Prissé are seventy (70) years old. This highly concentrated wine of limited production (about 12,000 bottles per year are produced) is aged in cuve (no oak aging). It displays a powerful constitution with great density; it is marked also by notes of tilleul and jasmine in the bouquet and hints of pear in its flavor.