Vougeot 1er cru "Les Petits Vougeot" (Red)

Origine

Domaine Christian Clerget's parcel of Vougeot 1er Cru, Les Petits Vougeot, in a single block of vines covering 0.46 hectares,  is 31 years old. It is located at 240 metres altitude, to the right of the road leading to the Château du Clos de Vougeot. The land here is east-facing, with shallow, brown calcareous soil, and provides the best possible conditions for the Pinot Noir to give of its best.

Vinification

Harvested entirely by hand and sorted in the vineyards by the grape pickers. The grapes are transported in crates of 30 kg, which prevents the harvested grapes from being compressed.  Upon arrival at the winery, the crates’ contents are emptied out onto a simple, stainless steel sorting table, to undergo a second sorting. The grapes are then destemmed and go into vats. Fermentation is temperature controlled (maximum 32°C) with the vats cooled by the use of a portable cooler if necessary, to prevent fermentation starting too quickly.  A pumping-over operation is performed immediately to unify the contents of the vat.
When fermentation is halfway through, pumping-over operations are replaced by a single, non-mechanical cap punching operation per day, until the wine is ready to leave the vat and be pressed.  It then goes into vat for 3-4 days, the time required to separate out the coarser lees, after which it is transferred into oak barrels by gravity, without pumping.  The wine is racked using a manual vacuum pump once malo-lactic fermentation is complete.  After 18 months' ageing, the blending of the barrels (33% new barrels) of the same appellation is carried out by racking the wines into a vat of the same appellation, where they will blend together. We bottle the wines on the property ourselves, without fining or filtration.

Notes de dégustation

A neighbour of Le Clos de Vougeot, Le Musigny and Les Amouereuses, Les Petits Vougeot, Vougeot 1er Cru, boasts a distinctive character and powerful aromas. It is deep, bright crimson in colour and develops aromas of berries, which evolve into undergrowth. It is direct and harmonious on entry to the palate, and slightly liquoricey on the finish. 

Mets d'accompagnements

The build of this wine actually hides a delicate character, which is soon revealed by the wine’s length on the palate.  This Grand Vin from the Côte de Nuits calls for food whose flavours match it in intensity – stews, spicy dishes, game or coq au vin, are good examples.  Nice cheese pairings include mature Comté, Reblochon, Epoisse and or Vacherin.

Ageing potential
8-15 years

Serving temperature
15-16°C