2019 Génot-Boulanger Clos de Vougeot

Domaine Génot-Boulanger is relatively young, by Burgundian standards. It was founded in 1975 by Charles-Henri Génot and his wife Marie Boulanger, who left careers as pharmacists in Paris to make wine in Burgundy. They started acquiring Côte de Beaune vineyards and moved to the heart of Meursault. Today the family still owns and runs the estate, which includes numerous parcels in Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. The estate will be fully certified as organic in 2018. Its wines earn ratings in the low to mid-90s from reviewers.

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.