2009 Haegelen-Jayer Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes

Domaine Haegelen-Jayer is a 10-acre estate in Clos de Vougeot. It is owned and operated by Alfred Haegelen and his wife Madeleine, a niece of the legendary winemaker and family patriarch Henri Jayer. The domain owns Grand Cru parcels in Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux, and Premier Crus in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Clive Coates has written that Haegelen’s wines “are full without being robust and are rich and concentrated…This is a good source.”

Clos de Vougeot is a walled vineyard that dominates the tiny commune of Vougeot in Burgundy’s Nuits-St.-Georges. The 124-acre Grand Cru vineyard includes a historic chateau that in 1945 was purchased by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an organization devoted to promoting the traditions of Burgundy and its wines. The impressive chateau is the organization’s headquarters. Clos de Vougeot was established as a vineyard by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, then sold off to private owners after the French Revolution. The vineyard is unusual for a Grand Cru in that it includes land that runs down to the main road. The soil is light limestone with sand. Principal landowners are Chateau de la Tour, with 13 acres; Meo-Camuzet, 7.5 acres; Rebourseau, 5.5 acres; Louis Jadot, 5.3 acres; and Leroy, 5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.