2008 Domaine du Clos de Tart Morey St. Denis La Forge de Tart

Domaine du Clos de Tart is one of Burgundy’s unicorns. It is a monopole, meaning that the domaine owns the entire 18.6-acre Grand Cru Clos de Tart vineyard. It is one of only six grand cru monopoles in Burgundy. The estate was founded in 1141 by the Tart Abbey Bernardine nuns, a Cistercian order, and after the French Revolution it was acquired in 1791 by the Marey-Monge family. In 1932 the Mommessin family of Maconnais – long-time negociants -- purchased the estate. Though the domaine’s wines suffered a drop in prestige during the mid-20th century, in recent decades it has once again become known for its high quality. Legendary winemaker Sylvain Pitiot, who ran the estate for 20 years until his retirement in late 2014, is credited with much of the estate’s revival. Jacques Devauges is current winemaker. Burgundy authority Clive Coates has called Clos de Tart “today Clos de Tart has few peers, even among the great wines of Vosne and Gevrey….This is a first class estate producing one of the very best of Burgundy’s Grand Cru wines.” The estate also produces a Premier Cru.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

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.

This is the young vine cuvée from the Grand Cru holding, Clos de Tart. Declassified to Premier Cru