Vosne Romanée Monopole "La Montagne" AOC 2023

A slender, clearly defined Pinot Noir at 12.5% Vol., which draws its effect from freshness and transparency. "I look for neither colour nor tannin," says Bruno Clavelier, and the wine confirms it: quiet, precise, without heavy-handed extraction.

La Montagne lies in Vosne-Romanée in the Côte de Nuits and is farmed solely by Clavelier. The vines root deep into the limestone subsoil, which brings low yields and a smoky minerality. The estate comprises 6.5 hectares; each climat is vinified separately.

Pure Pinot Noir Fin, the traditional Burgundian clone, from vines planted in the 1930s and 1940s; the oldest are over 80 years old. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in open, conical oak vats, with up to 30 percent whole clusters and manual punching down, over roughly three weeks. After malolactic fermentation in spring, the wine spends 16 to 18 months in barrels from Tronçais and Allier, only a third of them new. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered and with minimal sulphur under protective gas.

Silky texture, fine-grained tannin and a fresh acidity that keeps the wine upright. The finish leaves behind red forest berries, violets and a smoky, mineral streak.

With roast pheasant breast, tender veal fillet and pink-roasted saddle of venison, as well as quail braised in its own juices. Dishes with porcini mushrooms and aged Comté also pair well.

A monopole vineyard of old vines, farmed biodynamically since 2005. Clavelier's wines are sought after by collectors worldwide.