Château de la Tour Grand Cru Clos-Vougeot Vieilles Vignes 2020
Château de La Tour is a stunning and imposing Burgundian château that stands as a testament to the power and prestige of the Clos Vougeot vineyard. Originally created by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, this historic walled vineyard was the flagship vineyard of the church until the French Revolution. Today, Château de la Tour boasts an unparalleled view of the former Cistercian manor. The estate has 6 hectares under their control and is the largest leaseholder of the Clos Vougeot, renowned for the intensity, strength, and perfume of its wine. The Labet family has carefully directed the property, maintaining its reputation as one of the most impressive sources of Clos Vougeot in the Cote de Nuits. Francois Labet, one of the region's most important figures, owns the estate, which has a long history dating back to the late 19th century. The estate's wines are known for their finesse and concentration, particularly the limited edition Vieilles Vignes cuvée, which is made from one hectare of ancient, low yielding Pinot Noir vines planted in 1910. All of Labet's vines are treated with the utmost care and attention, and the property has been farmed organically since the early 1990s. A visit to Château de la Tour is a must for any wine lover looking to experience the magic of Clos Vougeot. Despite the movement and change across Burgundy in recent years, Château de la Tour has remained organic and quality-focused for decades, with slow and steady progress. The producer's development over the last ten years has been significant, with a shift towards a finer, more approachable style of wine. Since 2013, the wines have become more luscious, layered, and with finer tannins, while retaining their terroir, power, and authenticity.
Pinot Noir is one of France's most legendary grapes and the grape that earned Burgundy its reputation. It has been cultivated in France for more than 2,000 years and is known for creating elegant wines filled with primary red fruit aromas and flavours while young, with an array of secondary characteristics like earth, smoke, violet, truffle and game with age. Pinot Noir is also known for its ability to translate terroir, or a sense of place. Burgundy, located in eastern France, is famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. The most famous part of the region is known as the Côte d'Or, which is divided into the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits. The Clos de Vougeot vineyard is the largest of the Grands Crus, over 125 acres, with more than 80 different owners. Originally, the wine of the Clos was assembled from different portions of the vineyard to make a masterful blend, which justified its Grand Cru status. Today, a grower who owns a plot of land adjacent to the road has as much right to call his wine 'Grand Cru' as one from the upper 'Musigny' section, adjacent to Les Musigny, with wonderful stony soil, or that adjacent to Echezeaux.
The Vieilles Vignes is a highly sought-after wine made from a selection of the oldest vines in the Clos Vougeot vineyard, mainly planted in 1910 and located mid-slope, at the heart of the vineyard. The vines must be at least 70 years old and only the best plots are selected. These ancient vines produce only a few bunches of grapes per vine, resulting in a wine of unique intensity, complexity and structural power. Some Pinot Beurot (Gris) vines are also interplanted in these parcels and their grapes are harvested and vinified with the Pinot Noir. The Vieilles Vignes is fermented with 70% whole bunches and aged in 45% new oak, resulting in a deeper, more powerful wine than the Classique. It is built to age, but even in a year like 2020, it offers balance and pleasure in the short term. The wine has been praised by wine critics such as William Kelley, who gave it 94-96 points and described it as "striking" and "concentrated and sapid, with a seamless core of fruit, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish." Jasper Morris MW gave it 96-98 points and called it a "gorgeous" wine with "lots of detail, good acidity, and the perfumed ripeness which returns." Neal Martin gave it 94-96 points and described it as a "sophisticated, generous and seductive Clos de Vougeot that should age with style." The Vieilles Vignes is a truly exceptional wine that showcases the best of the Clos Vougeot vineyard.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - France
Region - Burgundy
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%