Winemaker Notes
This wine is harmonious, round, generous, fleshy, ample, mellow, racy, and elegant; in color a deep, rich ruby red. The bouquet is of quite exceptional aromatic intensity, in which the concentrated perfumes of rich red and black fruits (cherries, mulberries, black currants), vanilla and spices, woodland undergrowth, violets, and, with age, animal pelts all mingle and combine. In the mouth, this ample, meaty, muscular wine achieves perfect balance between fine tannins, mellowness, and a discreet acidity; the complex aromas linger very long in the mouth.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Deep and seductive, exuding notes of star anise, dark plum, wild strawberry, clove and porcini mushroom. It’s full-bodied with firm, very fine and polished tannins. Great concentration, with a long, dark-fruited finish. From the upper part of the clos, above 250m altitude.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From two parcels—one in Grand Maupertui and another in Les Chioures (next to Méo Camuzet's)—the 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of cherries, raspberries and spices, complemented by hints of licorice, rose petals and rich soil tones. Full-bodied, layered and velvety, with fine depth at the core, lively acids and fine-grained tannins, it's a rather suave, elegant rendition of Mongeard-Mugneret's Clos Vougeot.
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Wine Spectator
A rich, spicy version, this red boasts black cherry, blackberry, loam, vanilla and smoke flavors. Well-defined, with assertive tannins that frame the lingering finish. Just a bit chunky in the end. Best from 2026.
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.