Winemaker Notes
Light-bodied red with hints of candied strawberry and cherry, plus dusty tannins and hints of spice at the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I don't remember enjoying a taste of wine as much as the soon to arrive 2018 Domaine Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot—many wines have been memorable, but like all crazy wine guys, I can be hypnotized by "the Burgundy experience." At this pre-sell barrel tasting of Louis Jadot 2018s, this wine struck a chord and ran through my body, possessing my senses. TASTING NOTES: This wine is as complete as any wine could ever be. Its majestic aromas and flavors of bright berries from red to black stay long and pleasurable on the palate. Stick this wine in a dark cellar for a decade or more. (Tasted: February 3, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
This is chewy and meaty with lots of savory fruit and hints of new wood. Yet, it comes out structured and driven. Full-bodied with intense character and a flavorful finish. Try after 2023.
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Wine Spectator
Aromas and flavors of black currant, black cherry, violet and spice are backed by a solid spine of tannins in this supple, yet muscular red. The tannins are assertive now, leaving a dusting of chalk and cocoa on the finish. Best from 2024 through 2045.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Revisited in bottle, the 2018 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot) is showing very well, unwinding in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of red cherries, raspberries, sweet soil tones and warm spices. Full-bodied, muscular and tightly wound, with lively acids and prodigious reserves of fine, chalky tannins, this is a serious, structured Clos Vougeot unapologetically built for the long haul. For the patient, everything suggests there's considerable upside, but this is not a wine to "pop and pour" any time in the next decade. Rating: 93+
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.