The Clos de Vougeot is one of Burgundy’s great landmarks. First planted with vines in the 11th century, the wall around the vineyard dates to 1336, and the majestic Chateau to 1551. It’s a Burgundian icon, both of culture and viticulture.
With more than 80 owners across an astounding 50 hectares (120 acres) of vines, the wines from the Clos de Vougeot vary widely in character and quality – so much so that the different “neighborhoods” within the Clos are often included on the label. As with many things in Burgundy, you can’t get too specific.
Michel Gros is among our most talented and best known winemakers. His two tenths of a hectare in the Clos represent just 0.4% of the vineyard – but if you had to pick a corner of Clos Vougeot for your couple rows of vines, Gros’s plot is where you’d pick. The “Grand Maupertuis” is considered one of the finest sectors in the massive vineyard, and Michel’s tiny sliver of land here produces magnificent wine.
The 2017 vintage is offering beautiful early drinking – Gros’s premier cru 2017 are magnificent today – and we think even the Clos Vougeot, typically Gros’s longest lived wine, will not require the decade of patience it often does. Writer Sarah Marsh MW calls it “layered and powerful” with “no lack of structure…nicely refined and compact.” With an hour in a decanter, this will be an impressive and regal presence on your Christmas dinner table this year. Or if you’ve got patience (or someone on your gift list with a cellar), give this another 3-5 years and enjoy a delicious slice of history.
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Michel Gros Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2017
bottle price: $250
24hr sale price: $212.50 (use code FRIDAY)