However, there is one appellation level above this, consisting of the names of two village names placed together or the name of a single village. An example of the former would be Pouilly-Fuissé and of the latter St. Véran. Until 1999, there were only four names at this level and these were two of them. Perhaps a better name for this level would be "sub-regional appellation." A wine’s arrival at this level usually means a better wine, more prestige and thus a higher price.

Next, who determines whether or not an "area" can advance to this stage? The final arbiter is the INAO (which is the central governing body) but the process is usually controlled by the syndicates of local growers and the powerful negociants of the Cote de Beaune which dominate the Maconnais and determine the relevant criteria for admission to the appellation.

Jean Thevenet is the producer of the wines of Domaine de la Bongran and Domaine Emilian Gillet. They’re located in the northern Maconnais in Viré and Clessé and the hamlet of Quintaine which is between the two villages. No one understands the history of this area as well as he does. His wines are considered among the best in the entire Maconnais, be it the northern or southern portions.

In a region where abundant use of chemical fertilizers produces huge yields of unripened grapes, frequently machine-harvested and requiring chaptalization, Jean Thevenet’s practices are anything but typical. His vineyards are farmed organically, worked to assure moderate yields and harvested by hand at full maturity. He harvests later than anyone else, and because of this, his wines may contain some residual sugar and botrytis but they also have tremendous depth, complexity and concentration.

In 1999, the appellation of Viré-Clessé was created. Up until that time, the wines of Thevenet had to use the catch-all Macon + village formulation. In the case of Thevenet, this was Macon-Viré and Macon-Clessé Quintaine. Starting with ’99, he should have been able to use the new and more prestigious term Viré-Clessé. However, the controlling elements of the appellation didn’t want Thevenet in their ranks. Why? His wines were so far superior to the plonk many of them were making, they realized that in order to match Thevenet much of their work in the vineyards and wineries would have to change. So, they turned him down, saying that his wines lacked "typicity".

The truth of the matter was that Thevenet, supported by a mass of historical material, proved quite clearly that his wines were far more typical of the area than those of his detractors. As Thevenet says: "Unfortunately, sometimes AC (in this case a new appellation) is used to kick-start a local economy rather than to respect a terroir and local usage."… so this is the story of how a wine can be denied the highest classification available to it because it’s too good for that appellation. And this is the reason why our wine of the week, 1999 Domaine de la Bongran, has Macon Villages on the label rather than Viré-Classé.

The 1999 Domaine de la Bongran’s medium gold color is a harbinger of things to come and come they do. Honey, pear, licorice and mineral scents are discernible right from the start. Good things continue on the palate with wonderful balance, bright acidity and a viscous mouthfeel. Purity of fruit and concentration are very evident. The finish is long with honey, malolactic butterscotch and a closing mineral touch. As usual, Jean Thevenet hasn’t disappointed us. People in-the-know say Maconnais wines at Thevenet’s level are as good if not better than some of the Cote d’Or’s best. You won’t find disagreement from this corner…Food-wise, share it with a lobster or a roast chicken with garlic.

—Dr. Marty