Winemaker Notes
In 1110, the Cistercian monks were granted the land in the village of Vougeot which they very quickly planted with vines and kept until the Revolution. Today, the prestigious "clos" of 50 hectares belongs to about 80 owners. The soils at Clos Vougeot have quite different characteristics, from gravel and chalk at the top of the plateau producing a velvety wine, to brown, marly, clayey soil at the bottom giving stronger wines.
Complex bouquet of red and black berries with spicy and slightly oaky notes. Dazzling elegance on the palate, with a perfect blend of finesse and raciness. Very good ageing potential.
Pair with red meat dishes, roasted or in sauce, game birds, medium-flavored cheese.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Really spicy and decadent with crushed flowers, fruit and some grilled-meat undertones. It’s full-bodied with tight, tensioned tannins that nicely frame the fruit. Reserved yet complex flavors. A thoroughly beautiful wine. Drink after 2023.
-
Vinous
The 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru comes solely from the plot in the upper part of the clos since the plot at the bottom was pulled up last year. This includes 50% whole cluster, which you cannot sense at all. It has a refined and well-defined bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and briar aromas that gradually unfurl in the glass. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins and fine acidity. Quite harmonious, with a smooth, creamy finish that will need three or four years in bottle. This is a composed, pure Clos Vougeot.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Decanter
The harvest in 2018 started on September 4th. It is impossible not to love this wine, although it is entirely different than the previous vintage. Produced, as in 2017, exclusively from the parcel in Plante l'Abbé, it was made with an inclusion of 30% whole bunches, a slow ferment in open-top wood fermenters, and a maturation of 12 to 14 months in cask, approximately half new. The resulting wine is rich, almost thick and viscous, with a pronounced aroma of dark black fruit aroma and a touch of sweetness and spice. If it lacks the definition of the 2017 vintage, it still impresses with its power.
-
Jasper Morris
A mixed red crimson colour. The bouquet is soft and dour, while there is some volatility showing on the palate. Quite a long finish to this lightly red fruited wine. Another wine which builds very well but you have to give it time.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Containing the largest Grand Cru in all of the Côte d’Or, Vougeot, the village, takes its name from the small stream flowing through it, called Vouge. Over three quarters of the village retains Grand Cru status, and a single vineyard at that: Clos de Vougeot (or simply, Clos Vougeot). Its mass—over 50 ha—retains the single name chiefly for historic reasons.
But today, Clos de Vougeot contains over 80 owners and shows significant soil and slope variations within its boundaries. The top, bordering Musigny and Grands Echezeaux, is calcareous and gravelly on oolitic limestone and exhibits wonderful drainage. The middle sections are limestone, gravel and clay with less of a slope. The lower part has little slant and is mostly made of clay. Historically the diverse parcels were blended but today the abundance of owners means that everyone has his own style. Exploring and understanding them is part of the allure of Clos de Vougeot.
In general a fine Clos de Vougeot when young will be dense and dark but juicy, with a pronounced austerity, and needs a good ten years to bring it to its full potential.