Clos de Vougeot vintages: which ones and when to drink them

The vintages in question

2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019, and 2020 are generally considered great vintages in Côte de Nuits. I phrase this cautiously because a vintage is never a single score: on a clos of fifty hectares shared among more than eighty owners, a good year poorly vinified produces an average wine, and an average year well worked can sometimes yield a fine bottle. The domaine therefore matters more than the year: this is explained on how many owners.

When to open it

Ten to twenty years after the vintage for an ordinary bottle from the clos, longer for an exceptional year. Before ten years, the wine is often closed, and you pay for patience you’re not taking. If you open it young anyway, decant for one hour: this gives it the air it hasn’t yet had. Serve at sixteen to seventeen degrees Celsius, no warmer; above that, the alcohol overpowers the fruit.

Where to find one

At a wine merchant in Nuits-Saint-Georges or Beaune, or directly at the domaine by appointment. What a bottle costs depends on the producer, the vintage, the parcel’s location, and the sales channel: I don’t print figures here, as they would be outdated within three months. On site, lunch at La Table de Léonce offers a tasting of four Burgundy wines, including two premier crus selected by the Confrérie, with commentary from the sommelier. The rest of the topic is on the grand cru page.

Taste widely before choosing

Fourteen wines in one day, from village to grand cru, at a domaine near Beaune, a winemaker in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and a shop in Chambolle-Musigny. This is the quickest way to place a Clos de Vougeot among its neighbors.

Frequently asked questions