Clos de Mez Fleurie La Dot 2018

Certified Organic
Variety: Gamay
Country Region: France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
Appellation: Fleurie

La Dot refers to the dowry that Marie-Elodie’s grandmother received. This wine pays hommage to her. From a plot of 50 year old vines located in the southern sector of Fleurie close to the border of Morgon. Produced from gnarled old goblet pruned vines grown on decomposed sandy pink granite and made from ridiculously low yields in 2017 of just 5 hl/ha. Grapes are sorted as they are picked in each plot of the vineyard; in whole bunches, the grapes are moved to the vats by a system of gravity. Pre-fermentation maceration at cold temperature is carried out for few days, followed by alcoholic fermentation interspersed by cap-punching and pumping-over. After tasting, the grapes are removed from the vats after 2 to 3 weeks. 40 to 50% of this wine is matured in barrels for 9 months. After blending the wine in barrels with the other quantity in vats, maturing continues for 12 more months. Then, another additional year is necessary after bottling to appreciate the vintage in its first stage of plenitude. Afterwards, time will be the wine’s best ally to enable it to achieve its fullest development.

”A dense and rather balsamic style of Fleurie that just avoids over-ripeness. The impressive tannin structure gives it quite some power and there’s no denying the spicy complexity. Quite soft at the finish. Drink or hold.” 91 points, Jamessuckling.com, March 2021

Clos de Mez is a small estate producing from just 15 hectares of vines, those in Fleurie are located not far from the chapel of La Madone in Fleurie, which is visible from the front courtyard looking north up the very steep hill. Owned and run by Marie-Elodie Zighera-Confuron, who inherited these beautiful old vineyards from her grand-mother which had been passed down through the family for generations and where she had spent time growing up as a child. Marie-Elodie made her first vintage in 2006 after studying viticulture and oenology in Dijon and Montpellier and working for experience at Chateau de la Tour in Clos Vougeot among other places. Marie-Elodie is married to the owner of the famous 3 star Vosne-Romanee estate of Confuron-Cotetidot and she splits her time between the 2 estates.

Just three wines are produced from this small estate which was converted to organic viticulture in 2018. The style of wines produced here is very distinct with the Mademoiselle M cuvee being made in a very vibrant expressive and slurpable style that begs for early consumption for the pure enjoyment of Gamay at its prettiest and most elegant. Made in a semi-carbonic style this is made for early enjoyment while waiting for the other cuvees to become ready. The Fleurie La Dot and Morgon Chateau Gaillard cuvees are both made a very cellar-worthy and more structured style which goes very well with the food of the region - very ‘gourmand’ in style. These latter 2 cuvees have been inspired by Marie-Elodies experience of a 1911 Morgon which she tasted many years ago and which inspired her to make wines like that which would last and evolve for many decades in a good cool cellar. La Dot refers to the inheritance her grand-mother gained - and so that patch of 50 year old vines goes to produce this cuvee, while the Morgon Chateau Gaillard comes from the lieu-dit of the same name which has 80 year old vines. These are both barrel aged (no new barrels) for up to 50% of the wine with 9 months elevage before blending with the tank matured parcel for another 12 months before bottling and resting another 12 months before release. Hence the La Dot and Chateau Gaillard cuvees are always released much later than the Mademoiselle M cuvee.