Le Clos-Blanc
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 44cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
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.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
This superb domaine continues to grow in reputation. Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset of the Boisset group decided to group together all the vineyard holdings of his various négociant companies acquired over the years. The name comes from the significant holdings – and indeed Jean-Claude Boisset’s home – in the village of Vougeot. No expense is spared in production terms. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines.
As ever, this has a nose of great distinction. It is very fine, with some delicate floral notes, and has fabulous harmony with almost sweet fruit. Lemon-scented, it also shows spring flowers and white peaches before a fresh finish and excellent precision. This is a wine of great appeal when young, but it should also keep very well indeed.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director
Two recent trends which have been continued here by winemaker Pierre Vincent are a slight reduction in the amount of new oak, which now mostly comes from the local forest of Cîteaux, and a slight increase in the use of stems during vinification. The latter is subtly judged though, as there is very rarely any outright feel of the stems in the bouquet or on the palate. 2010 is a tiny crop here, averaging out at 24 hl/ha across the cellar but the wines are magically concentrated.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
This unique wine is singing once again in 2013. Pale and bright in colour, it has a brilliant nose with nectarines and lively citrus notes, perfectly poised with great intensity of ripe fruit. Nectarines again, a little orange blossom, this is very complete and immensely long.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
The harvest began with whites on 26th September, before the rain, then the reds were brought in during less good weather, with sorting necessary. The stems were ripe enough to allow for whole bunch vinification, and Pierre has chosen the soft pedal in 2013: not much punching down, more an infusion approach, less new wood and perhaps a shorter time in barrel. Pierre can see some elements of 2008 but with more weight, more flattering wines overall.
Fine, bright and clear in colour, and although the bouquet begins discreetly, it is not long before the fruit bursts out. There are some fresh pear notes on the palate and an exceptionally pure, long finish. This brilliant wine is an absolute bundle of energy. Drink now to 2024.
Based in Prémeaux, just south of Nuits-St Georges, Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset decided to group together all the vineyard holdings of the various négociant companies he had acquired over the years. Pascal Marchand was put in charge in 1999, with Bernard Zito in the vineyards, which are farmed biodynamically. Pascal produced powerful wines, fairly heavily extracted in his early vintages but clearly moving to a softer style by 2004. The wines came of age under Pierre Vincent, who maintained the more delicate approach. He departed after the 2016 vintage, leaving behind a crack team, led by the redoubtable Sylvie Poillot. Top-quality vineyards continue to be added, especially Grand Cru whites in recent vintages.
Pierre Vincent may now be fully installed at Domaine Leflaive, but his legacy is still firmly in place here, with the team he left behind brilliantly stepping up to the mark. They felt that the speed of the harvest was vital this year – no threat with their three teams of pickers, one based each in the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, and another to shuttle between the two, to wherever it was most needed. They began with the whites on 28th August, finishing 16 days later in the Côte de Nuits. They decided the resulting wines, especially the whites, required less new oak; allowing greater fruit purity.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 97cs
Magnum 3 x 150cl 2cs
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.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
Based in Premeaux, just south of Nuits-St Georges, Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset decided to group together all the vineyard holdings of the various négociant companies he had acquired over the years. Pascal Marchand was put in charge in 1999, with Bernard Zito in the vineyards, which are farmed biodynamically. Pascal produced powerful wines, fairly heavily extracted in his early vintages but clearly moving to a softer style by 2004. The wines have subsequently been made by Pierre Vincent who has maintained the more delicate approach. Top-quality vineyards continue to be added, especially Grand Cru whites in recent vintages. This is Pierre Vincent’s last vintage, as he is now installed at Domaine Leflaive. Vougeraie is very happy with this year’s result, another domaine to call the vintage “très Bourguigonne”, meaning that the precision and purity of the fruit means this is more terroir-focused than 2015’s broader and more intense style. They are also very happy with the way the frosted and non-frosted vines finally ripened homogenously, giving much of the credit to their biodynamic culture. Given the health of the berries, a lot of whole bunches were used at fermentation.