Tasted with Justine, daughter of Isabelle and Christian Clerget in Vougeot, 04 November 2021.
Domaine Christian Clerget
10, Ancienne-Route-Nationale
21640 Vougeot
Tel: +33 3 80 62 87 37
www.christianclerget-vins.fr
More reports with Domaine Christian Clerget
Justine on 2021:
“In 2021, some of our parcels lost 10-20% but we were less hit than many places and with the memory of 2016, which was much worse her, we can only be happy. We had more than in 2020 and 2019 so…”
Justine on 2020:
“2020 for us was quite an easy vintage – sunny but less intense, better said less extreme than the previous vintage. Of-course, it was an early vintage – 28 August starting our harvest – we had the phenolic maturity but not too high sugars – our highest was 13.5° in our Morey Blanc. We only extracted very lightly as the small grapes gave out their colours so quickly!”
The wines…
Such a strong set of wines from Justine and her parents – here are a number of covetable wines in 2020 – bravo!
18 months elevage done here so some of the wines might show a little reduction says Justine:
2020 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
From one parcel on the other side of road from the Clos de Vougeot, and one in commune of Vosne-Romanée. Of course, it could be labelled Côte d’Or if they wanted…
Lots of colour. The nose is fragrant, a little floral and with a vibrancy of ripe but fresh fruit. Fresh, again with some vibrancy and there’s depth to this flavour too. Very subtly grained, micro-grained, with tannin. Mouth-watering, contemplative, delicious wine. A great finishing – simply excellent Bourgogne.
2020 Mores St.Denis Les Crais
The other side of the road from Magnien’s cuverie. The same parcel as the white. No wc as was less ripe here.
Starting with a faint vibration of reduction but here the nose is a little smaller but really inviting too – that’s lovely. An extra elegance despite the tannin showing mildly more. The flavour has width and a nicely mouth-watering style too, slow-moving waves of always inviting flavour. Lovely and longer finishing too.
The biggest cuvée of the domaine – 2 hectares of vines, a mix of over 10 small parcels.
Really deeply coloured. Extra depth of aroma but here with no reduction – a slowly evolving perfume above too – that’s lovely. More incisive, the flavour with extra vibrancy. That’s really very impressive, more structural but also more complex wine – really finishing flavour depth too. Bravo!
2020 Chambolle-Musigny Aux Croix
This parcel was riper, maybe because it’s trained perpendicular to most of the other vines and Justine finds the soil has much in common with the 1er crus – so this vintage vinified apart and used about 40% whole clusters too.
A nose that’s a little more compact today but with an enticing width of aroma at its base. Incisive again but a little fuller in the mouth. The structure showing a little more but the melting, faintly saline accented, flavour is really very fine. Keep this a little longer but this is a classy Chambolle!
2020 Vosne-Romanée Les Violettes
Next to the Clos de Vougeot and Echézeaux – planted in 1946, with only a few replacements in here.
A completely different nose – of both width and depth but the character of the fruit is higher-toned – very inviting! Hmm, this has great shape and structure – very melting fruit – so delicious. You would be advised to let the structure soften a little but I’d still happily drink this today! Really very fine Vosne villages, impressively long too!
Vines that sit just under the Clos de la Perrière, about 40% whole bunch here.
Pow! – What a great and impactful nose – fabulously perfumed – that’s a great nose. Wide, freshly intense flavour. Modestly framed with a fine grain of tannin. The intensity implies some patience needed but what a great Vougeot!
One part of this cuvée is just across from Les Amoureusses, plus 3 other small parcels.
Also very perfumed but the perfume here has a deeper register – still impressively inviting. Bright, fresh, vibrant, ooh – that’s so good – I love this flavour energy. Cool fruit but with clarity – reminds of the 2019s with a little more acidity. Really excellent, possibly a great Charmes!
From Combe d’Orveau, just behind the Clos de Vougeot – planted in 1946 by Justine’s grandfather.
Not the largest nose today, but the most complex – here is a beautiful thing. The flavour reflects the nose a little – not the largest of scale but the most perfectly proportioned, structured wine with beautiful flavour – clearly a step up in clarity and fluidity of flavour – which I prefer to density. You know what – that’s a great Echézeaux – biggest is not always best! In that respect it reminds me of the 2006 from Comte Liger-Belair.
Les Whites
2020 Mores St.Denis Les Crais Blanc
Planted in 2003 – Youngest vines of the domaine
Also a nose that’s vibrant and rather expressive. Supple, mouth-filling. Gaining in layers of middle and finishing flavour. No ‘simple’ white from the Côte de Nuits, this is delicious and has complexity too – it’s more than ‘very good.’ Quite large finishing too – always agreable.
There is one response to “Christian Clerget – 2020”
Great stuff, Bill. Really pleased to have bought quite a few of these, already. It looks like Justine is taking the wines to another level. Thanks for a great overview.
I agree – she is 🙂