CLOS DE TART (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel Samples

(Originally published December 2017)

I visited on Friday, 27 October, just as all Burgundy was buzzing about the news of an incipient sale of the estate — although the purchaser would not be announced until the following week. 

It turned out that François Pinault, owner of Domaine de l’Eugénie in Vosne-Romanée, was the purchaser. I’ve not heard yet anything about whether Clos de Tart will remain separate or will be folded into Eugénie, where Frédéric Engherer of Pinault’s Château Latour in Bordeaux is in charge.

In any event, Jacques Desvauges, who recently succeeded Sylvain Pitiot at Clos de Tart, has made a 2016 Clos de Tart that is as pure and beautiful an expression of this great terroir as one could want.

As with most of Morey-Saint-Denis, the estate came out with minimal damage from the frost — there was a little bit at the bottom of the Clos. There was, however, lots of mildew as the estate was in the second year of organic practice and the first of biodynamic conversion. Overall, production was 35 hl/ha vs. an average for the previous ten years of 25 hl/ha. — “un miracle” exclaimed Jacques.

Harvesting began on 28 September, the same as in 2010. Jacques described the grapes as “splendid.” The natural ripeness varied from 13.2 to 13.6º, there was good acidity, and lots of aromatics.

Continuing recent trends, the estate is moving to more whole clusters. In 2016, 60% of the wine is made with whole clusters, but none of the second wine had whole clusters. (Continue reading here.)