Clos Vougeot Grand Cru AOP 2023

A dry Pinot Noir bearing the domaine's signature: precise, aromatic, elegant. Jérôme Galeyrand arrived in Burgundy without a winemaking family, bought his first 0.05-hectare plot in 2002, and was awarded a star in the Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France in 2020. His Clos Vougeot has depth and drive, yet remains restrained in expression and needs time.

Clos Vougeot is a walled Grand Cru vineyard in the Côte de Nuits. The domaine itself is based in Saint-Philibert, east of Gevrey-Chambertin, and farms 5.25 hectares; the cellar stands right in the heart of the village. 70 percent of the vineyards are farmed organically, 30 percent according to sustainable principles. Pesticides are off-limits, and ploughing is done mechanically.

Pinot Noir, vinified in a small cellar at Galeyrand's home. His credo: fresh grape juice without technological or oenological interventions — so no industrial yeasts, fining agents or enzymes, and minimal sulphur. Depending on the cuvée and vintage, he works with fully destemmed grapes or whole clusters. The red wines age for 18 to 24 months in French oak barrels, with the proportion of new wood deliberately kept low.

Dark cherry and ripe red berries carry the wine, underscored by forest floor, fine spices and a floral note. The texture is silky, the tannins finely woven, the finish long.

Partridge with lentils, duck breast with cherries, coq au vin or beef fillet in red wine jus. Also pairs well with aged hard cheese.

The domaine's total output amounts, depending on the vintage, to around 2000 cases, or roughly 24,000 bottles. The harvest is done by hand, together with a group of well-trained friends.