Clos de Tart Monopole GC Rouge 2016 TERROIR SELECTIONS

One of the greatest terroirs of the Cote d’Or is today in the hands of one of the most knowledgeable and talented régisseurs (manager/winemakers) Sylvain Pitiot. Since he took over the Estate in the late 90s, Sylvain Pitiot, whose name you may have seen on his widely used Burgundy maps and books such as The Wines of Burgundy and Nouvel Atlas des Grands Vignobles de Bourgogne, has made numerous changes. Those who like to think of Burgundy as static (same great makers, same terroirs producing the same styles of wines) should look away now. This is a domaine on the move. Pitiot openly acknowledges that the style of Clos de Tart has changed dramatically since he took over and particularly so since the 2006 vintage. Today the wines are harvested later and at much lower yields (25-30hl/ha are the norm with 27hl/ha the yield in ’07). There is a rigorous fruit selection and the winemaking and viticulture are much more natural (in regards the shunning of chemical inputs) but also much more precise (the winery equipment is state of the art). In short, much more work now goes in to the viticulture and winemaking and the wines show greater ripeness, more intensity and more purity. These are all positives which, are, sadly, reflected in the price which has risen significantly in recent years. It makes sense that Pitiot could only justify dropping yields and declassifying wine (i.e., making less wine but at a higher standard) if he could sell the wine for more money.One of the key advances that has occurred under Sylvain Pitiot’s reign has been a far deeper understanding of the various segments of the Clos and his decision to harvest and ferment each parcel separately. A Grand Cru of this size is obviously not homogenous and there are significant differences in soil types, gradient, elevation and vine age across the site. Perhaps the most significant difference is in the soils (more limestone here, more clay there, more rocky here, finer soil there). The gradient also gets far steeper as you head up the slope and the elevation changes by as much as thirty metres. The average age of the vines is 60 years with some parcels now over 100 years old. The different parts of the vineyard ripen at different times so they are picked separately. They are then fermented on their own and assembled down the track, assuming they reach Pitiot’s exacting standards. Some of the stems can be used if they get ripe enough (in 2007 it was 20%) but there is no recipe. To combat erosion, the vines have been planted in rows running north-south, perpendicular to the slope. This planting method is found in only approximately 1% of Burgundy’s vineyards. Organic growing methods are practiced as much as possible. The use of chemical products is avoided and ‘sexual confusion ” techniques offer an ecologically friendly approach to pest management.

– Importer Note