A Vougeot Grand Cru vineyard on the Côte de Nuits, Clos de Vougeot is one of the most famous and largest grand crus in Burgundy. Uncover the rich history and unique characteristics of its wines.
A grand cru with almost a thousand years of history
Founded in 1098, the Abbey of Citeaux received land donations from laypeople and the clergy, including plantations in the Côte d’Or. The monks tended the vines and grew grapes. The vineyard gradually expanded over the years through further donations. The first reference to the name Vougeot dates back to 1164, when the cellar of Vougeot was mentioned. It derives from the Vouge River, whose source can be found above the village of the same name. The Clos was built as such and adopted the name Clos Vougeot around 1330. Its walls were moved as the estate grew, but they have stayed in place since the 14th century. The current château was originally built by Dom Jean XI Loisier in 1551. Julien-Jules Ouvrard used the fortune of his father, who was Napoleon Bonaparte’s banker and supplier to the imperial armies, to become the owner of the estate and La Romanée-Conti after the clergy’s property was seized. Subsequently, it was passed on to his descendants. The Clos was originally planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but the latter was pulled out before the middle of the 19th century. In 1855, the Lavalle classification ranked the Clos Vougeot as one of the three best grands crus on the Côte. In 1889, the Clos was sold to 15 Burgundian wine merchants, initiating the fragmentation of the vineyard that continues to this day. In 1920, the château was acquired by Etienne Camuzet, a member of parliament for the Côte d’Or and a leading winegrower in Vosne-Romanée. In 1934, the Château du Clos Vougeot became the seat of the of Order of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, established to promote Burgundy wines.
A vast and diverse vineyard
Located in the Vougeot appellation area and covering a major part of it, the Clos de Vougeot spans 50.96 hectares – placing it among the largest grands crus in Burgundy after Corton and Corton-Charlemagne – split into 134 plots which belong to around 80 winegrowers. The vineyard extends lengthwise (1km long by 500m wide) and rises to a maximum altitude of 265m. Production amounts to around 1,700 hectolitres (depending on the vintage). The vines are planted on shallow soils that contain lots of gravel. At around 250 metres in altitude, the soil lies sits on small limestone stones mixed with clay, while in the lower part, the soil is richer in clay and silt.
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Wines with fairly diverse styles
It’s almost impossible to paint a typical picture of the wines produced here, given the sheer size and quantity of plots in this grand cru and the many different winegrowers working there. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to identify some common characteristics. It is worth remembering that only red wine is authorised in the appellation.
Clos de Vougeot wines generally display colours ranging from raspberry red to deep garnet. On the nose, they offer a wealth of aromas combining floral, blackberry, raspberry, mint and truffle notes. They are relatively structured and very persistent on the palate. They offer outstanding ageing potential and can be shine for up to 30 years.
The upper part of the appellation (the vines nearest the château) has poorer, stonier soils, which tend to impart a fine minerality to the wines, along with a smoky touch and great sophistication. The north and south of the appellation also differ. While the south produces more rustic, robust wines, the north, where the soils are less clay-y, produces silkier, more sappy wines with a captivating bouquet. Also, you can see there’s wide choice of wine styles which incidentally you can find in iDealwine’s fine selection, produced by a host of talented winemakers.
The Clos de Vougeot producers
In the village of Vougeot, you’ll find the estates of Château de la Tour (the only producer to vinify the grand cru within the village’s walls), Leymarie-Ceci, Bertagna and Hudelot-Noellat.
Outside the village of Vougeot, several other estates own plots in the grand cru, such as Eugénie, Anne Gros, Robert Arnoux, Gros Frères et Sœurs, Anne Françoise Gros, Rebourseau, Lamarche, Raphet, Mortet, Clos Frantin (Bichot), Prieur, Lescure, Mongear-Mugneret, Thibault Liger Belair, Michel Noëllat, Faiveley, Jean-Jacques Confuron, Jadot, du Couvent, Bouchard, David Duband, Génot-Boulanger, Hubert Lignier, Jean Fournier, Jean-Marc Millot, Laurent Roumier, and Méo-Camuzet.Shop all Burgundy wines on sale
