Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

Having made Clos des Epeneaux at Comte Armand, Ben had always harboured an ambition to make Pommard’s other great wine, so was delighted to take the opportunity; this comes from a plot in the lower part of Les Rugiens-Hauts. There is a real concentration of fruit here, Grand Cru weight and a wonderfully elegant tannic structure which underlines the class of this site. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Having created a name for himself as régisseur (general manager) of Comte Armand in Pommard from 1999 until 2013, Benjamin Leroux established a small négociant business based in Beaune in 2007. The emphasis is on Côte de Beaune whites and Côte de Nuits reds. The company also owns a small holding of Bâtard-Montrachet and since 2014 some vineyards in Meursault. In a short space of time Benjamin Leroux’s wines have built an impressive reputation. Ben is a big fan of his 2016s, praising the sizzling tension of the whites and the beautiful quality of the Pinot fruit, which allowed him to use more whole bunches than in 2015. In early stages of élevage he drew comparisons to 2010, and feels these are wines which will surprise people and gain complexity with time. Thanks to his strong relationships with suppliers, Ben was able to maintain production at around 2015 levels despite the frost, although in general he has less Village and Grand Cru wine and more at the Premier Cru level. For reasons of space, the limited volumes of Grands Crus have not been included in this catalogue. Since the 2014 vintage, all white wines are bottled under screwcap.

Brilliant bright purple in colour, with abundant ripe fruit on the nose, red and black intertwined, then a powerful force of fruit throughout the middle with very good acidity behind. Tight and a little tannic, this is very vigorous and needs more time in barrel still. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

A late cycle all the way though, in 2013 Etienne started picking from 5th October. After conferring with his aunt Jacqueline Jayer, he noted that 2013 shares the same harvest dates as 1978 and also that in both vintages there were very few pips in the grapes and they were fully ripe. Low sugar levels, ripe skins and good acidity should lead to fine wines with excellent keeping qualities.

Rich full purple, the nose has power but will clearly need time. This is a big beast which gets richer and rounder by the minute while the bouquet begins to express itself with great purity. It is worth taking time over. The racking has done it some good since tasting last autumn. This Clos de Vougeot has deep, dark berry fruit, plenty of weight with a lovely fresh finish. .
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Buying Director

Guyon’s parcel in the Clos is planted north-south, which shades the grapes and gives a fresh style with more tension. Initially rich on entry, with creamy fruit and spice, this almost feels like a Bonnes Mares. There is a noticeable structure as expected from this vineyard, but the overall impression is one of elegance. Drink 2027-2042.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This excellent domaine in Vosne-Romanée has flown under the radar – perhaps because Jean-Pierre Guyon spends so much of his time out in the vineyards, which have been farmed organically since 2006, certified from 2012. With his high-pedigree viticulture as a great starting point, Jean-Pierre can employ whole-bunch fermentation as the stalks are ripe, eschewing the use of sulphur at this stage, though some is added during élevage and at bottling to assure stability. Despite obvious frustration at the small volumes, Jean-Pierre Guyon is delighted with the quality of his 2016s. He describes it as a vintage of great Pinot Noir typicity, which will be greater than 2015, explaining that the wines' saline character will have you reaching for the next glass. As ever, the grapes here were picked a touch later than many estates to ensure the stems were fully ripe. He only bought six new barrels for the entire 2016 crop, so the proportion of new oak is reduced.

Noticeable but not invasive wood and menthol frame a slightly riper array of aromas that are quite similar to those of the regular cuvée. Here too there is outstanding density and power to the even more concentrated broad-shouldered and robust flavors that possess even better depth and persistence on the impeccably well-balanced, saline and palate coating finish. This is presently extremely primary and while it's clear that this offers huge upside development potential it's also clear that plenty of patience will be required.
Drink 2031+
95 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, Jan 2016, Issue #61

Ancient vines situated in prime territory within the Clos, right next door to Etienne de Montille’s vines.  There is a lovely weight to the palate, with what I now know to be characteristic classy fruit from this domaine. There is a lovely succulent richness to it, yet lively. One of a rare breed of Clos Vougeot that has finesse to match the lovely plum fruit.
Matt Tipping – Fine Wine Sales Manager

Platinum medal winner at the Decanter World Wine Awards

Bright, fresh purple, the Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot is very tightly wound, with lifted fruit, spice and highquality raspberry notes. There is exactly the right structure behind, just enough to support the fruit which dances across the palate. Pierre Vincent’s fine touch at its best.

The domaine has developed its white wine holdings, with four new cuvées this year, arising out of Boisset’s purchase of Vincent Girardin’s business. Girardin had farming arrangements in Puligny- Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet Grand Cru and a tiny holding of Chevalier-Montrachet: Monsieur Boisset has now bought these vineyards. As well as these excellent whites, Pierre Vincent considers 2014 to be one of his best red wine vintages, with something in common with 2006 and 2010.

Jérôme chooses to serve this last, and he is not wrong. Striking, rich purple in colour, with some well-judged oak, this is very dense, with pure, lifted, concentrated, dark red fruit, good acidity. Overall it is very compact, ultra-concentrated, with a pretty, fresh finish. In short, impressive.

Our jovial friend Jérôme Castagnier has excelled himself this year. The promise we picked up on last year has really been delivered in 2014. He says that the wines have lovely flesh but also a beautiful freshness, and notes some similarities to 2010. His generic Burgundies (available on www.bbr.com/burgundy2014) are also excellent.

Etienne has a serious holding of almost 2ha here with three parcels of vines within the Clos. More power and grip than the Echézeaux. Drink from 2015.

Thibault has come to the conclusion that this vineyard benefits from a little more extraction than some and has acted accordingly in 2012. Dense red purple, the fruit starts discreetly then really develops towards the back of the mouth. Very good energy and structure: a complete and satisfying Clos de Vougeot.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Thibault’s two domaines, based in Moulin à Vent and Nuits-St Georges, both returned paltry yields of 16 hl/ha in 2012. Among the Côte d’Or appellations, the Hautes Côtes, Nuits and Gevrey-Chambertin suffered in particular. All of which is a great shame, given the quality of the wines which have been made. Even where Thibault purchases grapes (Aloxe-Corton and Chambolle- Musigny), Thibault makes the major decisions in the vineyard management. His own vines are farmed biodynamically, with ploughing by horse.

Olivier Bernstein owns no vineyards, working on contracts for grapes instead. His 2009s are certainly very ripe, though his gift for winemaking is clear. A man to watch.

Very dense rich purple colour. Thick texture, though fresher on the palate than the first nose suggested. There is plenty of detail in here, swimming in a sea of ripe fruit. Black cherries coat the mouth.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer)

Made from two plots; 70-year-old vines at the top and 30-year-old vines from lower down. This is a fine, mid purple colour, and is heady and unexpectedly seductive by Clos de Vougeot standards. The depth of flavour on the palate is exceptionally impressive, with dark fruit building beautifully across the palate, and a touch of spice to finish from the stems.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

This superb domaine grows in reputation and also in size: this year sees the first vintage of Nuits-St Georges, Clos de Thorey. Look out for even further additions in the next two years. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines and he has done a cracking job again in 2012; a vintage which supported the plentiful use of whole bunch fermentation. The domaine is certified organic and fully biodynamic.

Brisk bright purple, the bouquet is quite backward but nonetheless with good concentration. There is some toasty oak here, then a real depth of flavour behind. You do not expect the full nuance early on with Clos de Vougeot but the potential is all there. Drink 2023-2033.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

This year Pierre Vincent has been able to achieve his aim of an ideal barrel rotation. Each of these wines has been matured in one-third new wood, one-third one-year-old and one-third two-year-old. Because of the exceptional health of the grapes in 2015, he has also been able to vinify all the wines without de-stemming. His 2015 reds are wines of grace and elegance, while the white wines (picked from 28th August) have an impressive tension alongside a concentration of fruit.

Sylvain is quite possibly our youngest supplier of Burgundy and a man who shows clear ability at what he does. Blessed with a small parcel at the southern end of the Clos, Sylvain is already demonstrating his considerable talent.

Very tight and concentrated with more purple fruit than red to the fore, this bursts with energy yet is still refined. There is a suave feel to the mid-palate before the concentrated, long finish. Sylvain has made a more stylish Clos de Vougeot than in the past but without losing the positive aspects of its power.
Jasper Morris MW - WIne Buyer