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Wine Description
The Story
This is the Domaine's only plot that is not located in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Located on the village of Morey-Saint-Denis, it is a hard calcareoussoil, with a depth of barely 30 cm of soil and big stones which gives it its name. Clos de la Roche has the power and the richness of Morey-Saint Denis. Very expressive wine. Beautiful and elegant complexity.
Of all the villages of the Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis is one of the most fruitful in terms of the number of its Grands Crus. The Clos de Tart, which remains a solely-held entity, was founded by the Cistercians of Tart in 1141. Since that date, it has been owned by only three families. The Clos Saint-Denis came on the scene in the 11th century, thanks to the fortress of Vergy. The Clos de la Roche and Clos des Lambrays are both semi-monopoles and both have long histories which have involved some adjustment of boundaries between Climats. The Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis were awarded their Grand Cru appellations on 8 December 1936, Clos de Tart on 4 January 1939, and Clos des Lambrays 27 April 1981.
Facing east or slightly south of east at around 250 metres above sea-level, these Climats may be seen as a southerly extension of the Grands Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin. First comes the Clos de la Roche, then Clos Saint-Denis followed by Clos des Lambrays, and finally Clos de Tart leading to Bonnes-Mares.
Limestone dominates in the Clos de la Roche where the soil is barely 30 cm deep with few pebbles but with large boulders which give the climat its name. In the Clos de Tart, scree-derived soils 40-120 cm thick cover the underlying limestone. The Upper part of the Clos des Lambrays is marly with claylimestone soil further down. The Clos Saint-Denis at the foot of the slope has pebble-free brown limestone soils which contain phosphorus (like Chambertin) and clay (like Musigny).
Diversity is to be expected as each Grand Cru has its own personality. To the eye, this wine is plain ruby, sometimes a bit darker. Veiled in strawberry and violet, the Clos de Tart offers both robustness and charm. Quite tannic when young, it softens with age while gaining in complexity. The Clos des Lambrays is a true aristocrat, fully rounded in youth and with added depth and gravity as the years go by. The Clos Saint-Denis impresses by its finely–tuned nuances – this wine is the Mozart of the Côte de Nuits. The Clos de la Roche is firmer, deeper and more serious, closely akin to Chambertin. Aromas of humus and truffle are often precursors to notes of small red or black fruits. A small part of the BONNES-MARES appellation lies in this commune, but the greater part is in Chambolle-Musigny. (See Fact-sheet No. 5).
Intense and full-bodied when fully mature, these wines have a densely tannic texture and an aromatic richness which makes them a fitting - and equal - partner for feathered game. They are perfect, too, with a rib steak and, for lovers of Asian cuisine, adapt well to the aromatic intensity of glazed poultry. Their supple but virile tannins go well with veal (braised or in sauce) and with roast or braised lamb. One must also not forget their invaluable affinity for strong-flavoured soft-centred cheeses.
Serving temperatures : 12 to 13 °C for young wines, 15 to 16 °C for older wines.
Wine Information
Over four generations, the family has built up enviable holdings, with 14 hectares today, an impressive eight of which is classified as Grand Cru. The domaine’s flagship bottlings are its Chambertin (from 2.54 hectares over four parcels) and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze (from 1.42 hectares over three plots), however it also owns plots in Mazis-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Clos des Ruchottes (a Grand Cru monopole), Clos Saint-Jacques (owning 40% of the Premier Cru), Cazetiers, Lavaux-Saint-Jacques and village Gevrey-Chambertin. While the majority of its holdings are in Gevrey-Chambertin, it also has a parcel of Clos de la Roche Grand Cru in Morey-Saint-Denis.
The property works exclusively with Pinot Noir, although the family did briefly make a Bourgogne Blanc from a parcel in Gevrey-Chambertin, for their personal consumption only.
They work with old vines (average 40-45 years old) and low yields (max 30-40hl/ha) to produce wines with great ageing potential. The fruit is almost all de-stemmed, with 10% left whole-cluster to add structure. A cold soak (four to five days) is followed by fermentation in stainless steel (31-34˚C). The wines are then transferred to oak (François Frères) for élevage, normally just under two years, with up to 100% new wood depending on the cuvée.
The domaine produces 65,000 bottles a year, almost all of which (90%) is exported – and strictly allocated. The wines command significant sums on the secondary market given their rarity and esteem.
Vintage 2019
“2019 is ‘the perfect storm’ of a vintage,” said Laurent Drouhin of top negociant house Drouhin, which owns vineyards in many parts of Burgundy. “We keep smiling because some wines will be great.” The mix included the hottest temperatures since the time of the Black Death 700 years ago (!), frost in April, rain in June, and no rain for nearly four months.
Drouhin’s harvest started on time on Sept. 13, and Laurent’s winemaking brother Frederic reports, “The first reds show an intense and beautiful color, good concentration, great balance and acidity and depth. The whites also show good richness with balance.” It’s a great year for reds, with slightly higher alcohol than usual.
The downside is very low yields. In just one April night, frost destroyed about 30% of the crop in Macon, though what’s left is making wines with good acidity and aromas.
Export company Le Serbet gathered reports from 65 producers in its portfolio, and head of marketing Peter Wasserman says the loss of grapes varies from vineyard to vineyard; in some places it may be as much as 50% to 60% lower than normal. Northern appellations such as Gevrey-Chambertin seem to have done best, down only 10%.
With less wine, you might predict even higher prices, but producers worry that this would drive away consumers.
