Clos Vougeot Grand Cru AOC 2020

Wine Description for Clos Vougeot Grand Cru AOC 2020 by Charlopin Tissier

Colour & Appearance

A deep, almost opaque purple-red – dense and concentrated, as one expects from a serious Clos Vougeot. The colour promises substance and longevity.

Nose

Patience is rewarded: with sufficient air, an intoxicating bouquet unfolds of wild strawberries, raspberries and morello cherries, underpinned by malt, liquorice and clove. To these are added notes of undergrowth, damp foliage and a present, yet high-quality new oak. A wine that does not reveal itself immediately – and therein lies its charm.

Palate

On the palate, the 2020 Clos Vougeot displays the temperament of youth and a hint of greatness. Youthful exuberance meets firm phenolics and ripe extract sweetness, accompanied by pleasant tension and austere, mineral notes. The structure is powerful and deep, the acidity cleverly integrated. The high proportion of new oak is still perceptible, but already shows the first signs of harmonious integration.

Finish

Long, dark and aromatic with a mineral aftertaste. The tannins are firm, but not harsh – they promise a brilliant future. This wine needs time, but it will repay it.

Terroir & Origin

The Clos Vougeot ranks among Burgundy’s mythical vineyard sites – a Grand Cru of over 50 hectares that has embodied the complexity of the Côte de Nuits for centuries. The wine bears the unmistakable terroir of this site: deep, clayey-chalky soils that impart depth and minerality.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified after destemming via cool pre-fermentation and subsequent spontaneous fermentation. 18 months ageing on fine lees in 228-litre barriques from François Frères, with a new oak proportion of 75 to 100 % – a bold, classical approach that relies on the quality of the wood and patience.

Food Pairing Suggestions

A wine for the grand table: grilled Bresse chicken, filled with liver pâté and wild herb salad, or a capon stuffed with porcini mushrooms harmonise wonderfully with the wine’s dark aromatics. For those who prefer something more unconventional: beef hip tataki with cassis-shoyu marinade plays elegantly with the wine’s fruit and umami notes.

Special Characteristics

This Clos Vougeot is not a wine for impatient drinkers. It belongs to those Burgundies that demand at least five, preferably ten years of cellar ageing to reveal their true nature. Those who wait will be rewarded with a wine that shows Burgundy in its deepest, most complex form. To open now: only with considerable decanting time and great respect.