Another Clos-Vougeot 😁👍🍷
Labet-Dechelette Chateau de La Tour
Clos-Vougeot Grand Cru 2020
Don't ask me how or why, but I am in a Clos-Vougeot mood lately (see my previous post).
Falling into a phase for a specific appellation or Cru happens a lot to most Sommeliers. It is a behavior that is difficult to explain. It is like falling in love. You can't control it. It just happens.
For example, last year, I went through a phase of liking Gevrey-Chambertin wines, specifically Charmes-Chambertin and Mazoyères-Chambertin. I bought and opened quite a few bottles from various producers for a while, then moved on to something else.
Like most people, my phases tend to follow the seasons. If we stick with French wines, I usually go from North to South:
Spring: I usually favor medium white and red Burgundy wines and some Loire Valley and Alsace wines.
Summer: I prefer light reds and whites from Burgundy and Loire Valley, as well as whites from Jura and Alsace. And, of course, the Rosé from Provence and other regions, too.
Autumn: If the weather is warm and dry, the so-called "Indian summer" is usually the perfect time for medium white and red Bordeaux wines and northern Rhone. And slightly heavier white and red Burgundy, like this wine from Vougeot.
Winter: The ideal period to appreciate heavier, stronger, and bolder wines from Bordeaux, the southwest, the Languedoc-Roussillon, and more, especially the Rhone Valley.
So why open a wine from Clos de Vougeot (or Clos-Vougeot) in December? It is the perfect wine to finish Autumn and start Winter.
A brief introduction to Clos de Vougeot
For those who may not know, a "Clos" (French for "enclosure") is a walled vineyard. Walled vineyards protect the grapes from theft (and other hazards) and may impact or even improve the microclimate.
Clos de Vougeot, located in the heart of the Côte de Nuits, encompasses most of the vineyard area belonging to the commune of Vougeot. It is bordered by the neighboring villages of Chambolle-Musigny, Flagey-Échezeaux, and Vosne-Romanée. The slopes at the upper end of the Clos border the vineyards of Musigny and Grands Échezeaux.
Founded around 1110 AD by the monks of Cîteaux (Cistercian monks), who remained its owners until the French Revolution in 1789, the Clos de Vougeot is an iconic symbol of Burgundy.
The Clos encompasses 50.59 hectares (of which 49.25 ha are under production*) that have never been subdivided (except by parcels starting in 1889), preserving its identity within the walls constructed five centuries ago. Its wines are among the finest of the Grand Cru reds, and it has held Grand Cru status since July 31, 1937.
The château, which adjoins the cellars and the winery, has giant presses dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries. It is built in the Burgundian Renaissance style and is open to visitors. The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin holds its meetings, or “chapters,” here. Therefore, it is no surprise that some of the finest food and wine in France can be found in this region.
As one of the top Burgundian Grand Crus, Clos de Vougeot offers some of the fleshiest wines of the Cotes de Nuits. Its wines are more opulent, richer, and fleshier than those of the neighboring appellations to the north, like Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny, which are usually lighter and more delicate. Some Clos-Vougeot even come close to the complexity, texture, and structure of some wines from Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St-Georges.
Labet-Dechelette Chateau de La Tour Clos-Vougeot Grand Cru 2020
For seven centuries, the Cistercian monks were the sole owners of Vougeot. After the French Revolution, the Clos remained under state ownership until 1818 and was subdivided in 1889. At that time, François Labet's great-grandfather, Mr. Beaudet of Beaune, was one of six buyers who went on to build Château de la Tour in 1890.
In the early 1980s, François inherited the 6.7 Ha (15-acre) family vineyard and produced his first vintage in 1984. Since then, he has continued to make wine from these highly regarded Burgundian vines.
To honor the unique land with its exceptional soils and pay tribute to his ancestors, who farmed in the same manner, François has kept the vines free from outside management and chemical influences. He practices an intimate, natural, and regenerative approach to viticulture.
Clos de Vougeot is home to over 80 owners, with Labet being the largest landholder, possessing 6.7 Ha (15 acres). Aside from the renowned Château du Clos de Vougeot, Château de la Tour is the only other château within the entire vineyard.
*****work in progress*****
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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* 2018
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