Laurent Roumier Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2022

Variety: Pinot Noir
Country, Region: France, Burgundy, Cotes-de-Nuits
Appellation: Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

From a superb holding of just over half a hectare of vines which was replanted in 1975 and is located in the lieu dit of Grand Maupertuis in the higher part of Clos Vougeot bordering on to Grands Echezeaux not far from Musigny. This parcel was worked en metayage by Georges Roumier from the 1950s and was transferred to Laurent Roumier from the 1997 vintage. (Laurent Roumier also owns two other small parcels in the lower part of Clos Vougeot in the lieu-dit of Baudes Basses which is sold off to other producers.)

This is a remarkably rich deep and stylish wine that would put some notable Musignys to shame. Deeply perfumed with vibrant dark fruit and with wonderfully fine tannins. 50 % new Rousseau barrels used and aged for up to 18 months before bottling unfined and unfiltered. This is a stunning Grand cru of real freshness and vigour that simply should not be missed. This wine show just how great this large Grand Cru site can be and how spectacularly good wines from the higher parts of the vineyard can be.

Laurent Roumier is the grandson of the legendary Georges Roumier and his holdings originate from that grand old estate with more recent additions of 6 hectares in the Hautes Cotes de Nuits being purchased in the 1990s and further purchases in Chambolle Musigny.

His father Alain was the cellar master for Comte de Vogue for nearly 3 decades before taking his portion of the family vineyards to farm for his own family. The cellars are next door to Georges Roumier at the back of the village in the rue de Vergy (otherwise known as the 'rue des Roumiers').

Wines here appear stylistically very similar to those of Georges with even the same barrels and oak used as his cousins though one notable difference is that Laurent totally de-stems giving wines that are more immediately perfumed and accessible in their youth while still having ample depth and structure to age classically.

The vines are on average 35 years old, and they are farmed traditionally and responsibly, "the same way his father, Alain, did": naturally, with neither fertilizer nor herbicide. Green harvests are carried out in the summer when necessary. All of the vines are harvested by hand.

In the cellar, the work is carried out with the same level of precision. The grapes are entirely destemmed the vinified in concrete vats. Alcoholic fermentation lasts around 15 days, with pumping over and punching down every day, and the temperature is checked every day. When it comes to pressing, the team decants the wines for 12 hours in vats and then barrels (50% of which are new for the grands crus and the premiers crus, 30% for the villages and 10% for the Bourgogne Hautes-cotes-de-nuits). The elevage lasts 15 to 18 months, with the barrels (mostly Tonnelerie Rousseau) being topped up once a week and racked two or three times during the entire period of elevage.

Important to note that their holding of Clos Vougeot is located at the top of the vineyard and this wine has exceptional depth and intensity and appears closer in style to Musigny to which it almost adjoins (and better than many Musignys) so do not pass this by. We will also have a small amount of Chambolle 1er crus and Bonnes Mares in 2017.