Clos de Vougeot
Grand Cru 2020
Clos de Vougeot is and will always be much more than just a wine. This appellation is a the standard bearer, the emblem of the whole Côte d’Or...
Origin
The Clos de Vougeot in the heart of the Côte de Nuits occupies most of the vineyard area belonging to the commune of Vougeot. Vougeot’s neighbours are Chambolle-Musigny, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanée. On the slopes at the upper end of the Clos, it abuts on the vineyards of Musigny and GrandsÉchezeaux. Founded around 1110 AD by the monks of nearby Cîteaux, who remained its owners until the French Revolution (1789), the Clos de Vougeot is a Burgundian icon. Its 50.59 ha. have never been broken up and it retains its identity intact within the walls which were built to enclose it 5 centuries ago. Its wines are among the finest of the Grands Crus reds.
The château, (which adjoins the cellars and the winery with its giant presses dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries), is built in the Burgundian Renaissance style and is open to visitors. The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin holds its meetings or “chapters” here and therefore it is no surprise that the finest food and wine in France is found here.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: mostly clay and very stony on the surface.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0,18 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 37 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 48 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 5 September 2020.
The grapes were handpicked. First sorting in the vineyard, second on the sorting table upon receipt of the harvest.
At the winery: 50% of grapes were destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 50% whole bunches lasted a total of 21 days including 3 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 4 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 11 months with no racking using a proportion of 50% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling in September 2021, the wine was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 910 bottles.
Vintage
Balanced and concentrated
The harvests happened back-to-front! They began with the reds ripening before the whites. The harvest was very disease-free but we had to eliminate sunburnt berries, especially in the case of the Pinot Noir vines as the Chardonnays had coped better with the heat. Quality was definitely good, but relatively low juice yields has resulted in Pinot Noirs with high colour and aromatic intensity. On the other hand, the Chardonnay vines produced adequate yields with a good balance of sugar and acidity.
This optimal ripeness enabled us to harvest the red grapes in certain plots according to the ‘vendange entière’ approach, where stalks are fermented along with the grapes. 'Lots of lovely colour in the reds, with very high polyphenol content, firm tannins and excellent levels of acidity. Looks set to be a year with great cellaring potential. Summer fruit coulis notes definitely have the upper hand in this year’s vintage! The whites are nicely-balanced, but it’s too early to be more precise. Watch this space…’ Grégory Patriat.
Ageing potential: 10 years and more.
Awards
Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2023 - 95/100
JamesSuckling.com - 97/100
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui Magazine - 14.5/20
Vinous.com - Neal Martin - 90-92/100
Tasting notes
With an intense and brilliant ruby color, the first nose reveals aromas of small red fruits, peppers, associated with light notes of undergrowth. On the palate, this wine is opulent and fleshy and reveals a lot of greediness on the finish.
