DOMAINE VISSOUX 2022 FLEURIE LES GARANTS PIERRE MARIE CHERMETTE

JOHN GILMAN 93 POINTS: "Domaine Chermette’s 2021 les Garants is an excellent wine in the making. This climat lies down in the valley of Fleurie, near the vineyards of Clos de la Roilette, and like those vines, was once part of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation before the redistricting that took place with the official AOC boundaries were set. Jean-Étienne Chermette will typically raise ten percent of this cuvée in new Burgundy barrels, with the rest raised in foudres, but I am not sure if he used new casks for this wine in the cooler 2021 vintage. In any case, the wine is excellent on the nose, wafting from the glass in a youthful blend of black plums, dark berries, espresso, a dollop of fresh thyme, gamebird, a superb base of dark soil tones, woodsmoke and a touch of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and gently sappy in the rock solid core, with superb mineral drive, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and impeccable balance on the long, focused and complex finish. This is a bit more structured than the Poncié out of the blocks, so will need a bit more cellaring before it starts to drink with generosity, but it should be even a hair better once it is fully mature. Just a lovely wine."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS: "Richer and fleshier than the Poncié, the 2021 Fleurie Les Garants mingles aromas of plums, red berries and cherries with hints of violet and spice in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's a supple, elegantly textural wine."