Tasting Notes
The Vieilles Vignes comes from a selection of the oldest vines in the Clos, mostly planted in 1910 and situated mid-slope, right in the heart of the vineyard. A minimum of 70 years of age is the threshold here from only the best plots. Many of these ancient vines yield only a few bunches of grapes per vine and this fruit produces a Clos de Vougeot of unique intensity, breadth of flavour, complexity and structural power. There are also several Pinot Beurot (Gris) vines interplanted in these parcels and these grapes are harvested and vinified with the Pinot Noir.
Fermented with 70% whole bunches and raised in 45% new oak, the Vieilles Vignes is a deeper, more powerful wine than the Classique. It’s built for the long haul, yet in a year like 2020, the balance on offer is still capable of delivering huge pleasure in the short term, as the notes below make abundantly clear. - Importer Note
These are exciting times for Château de la Tour. Those who have followed the domaine could not have missed the evolution towards ever-finer wines at this address. Since 2013 they have been more luscious and more layered with finer tannins, yet without any loss of terroir, intensity or authenticity. And now, the outstanding 2020 vintage gives us the clearest evidence so far of the direction the domaine is travelling.
As we have said before, there are many small factors behind this positive evolution. The appointment of the talented Sylvain Pataille (from the 2013 harvest) to assist François Labet with vineyard and winemaking decisions has been important. Of course, the climate has also been shifting, bringing more flesh to wines across the Côte and this is particularly true of sites near valleys—like Clos de Vougeot—where the Combe d’Orvée isn’t bringing down the cold winds of yesteryear. This change has worked wonders for the Clos de Vougeot, a Cru that has always produced wines abundant in tannin. Now they have ample flesh to match, and the tannins are riper. Another more recent factor is François Labet’s son Edouard joining the estate. Driven and knowledgeable, Edouard is revising ideas and practices and working on the biodynamic side of things (supporting the organic viticulture that was incepted here in 1992). In short, the soils have never been healthier.
Further, François Labet has cited the introduction of the Guyot-Poussard pruning method (started in 2015) as beginning to have a positive impact, noting: “...the quality and consistency of the yield over the last few years has been astonishing.” Of course, the progression is not limited to the vineyard practice. From the 2019 vintage, even the once traditional and exclusive use of whole bunches was recalibrated, alongside a significant reduction in the use of new oak (that has taken effect from the 2020 vintage). And the wines they are a-changin’. “In my opinion”, Labet told Neal Martin of Vinous, “the kind of wines that we produce at the moment have no equivalent compared to past vintages. We have the right viticulture, picking time and winemaking. Everything is now so controlled.”
| Product Type | Wine Red Pinot Noir |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Sub Region | Clos Vougeot |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Minimal Intervention |