Domaine Y. Clerget, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2022 - 75cl
Clos de Vougeot is one of Burgundy's great walled vineyards, a fifty-hectare patchwork on the Cote de Nuits shared among dozens of growers, and Domaine Y. Clerget owns only a sliver of it. Thibaud Clerget, the twenty-eighth generation of a family that has worked these slopes since 1268, brought the domaine back to life in 2015 from its Volnay base. His 2022 Clos de Vougeot uses around fifty per cent whole bunches and roughly half new oak, made in a warm, ripe year that has lent the wine generosity without blunting its Grand Cru seriousness.
The bouquet is deep and patient: black cherry, dried herbs, a cool thread of mint and liquorice, with the stems lending a savoury, peppery edge. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied and finely structured, the tannins polished, the grip appearing only on the finish. Black fruit, loam, white pepper and bay leaf run long and unhurried. This is built for the cellar, and the whole-cluster character will knit together over the coming years, so give it time. Five to ten years in bottle should see it move into its stride, though there is no rush.
How to Serve
Serve at 16 to 18C in a large Burgundy glass. A young bottle benefits from thirty to sixty minutes in a decanter to soften the stemmy edge and open the fruit.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot Soho, where the list treats Grand Cru with the right seriousness.
Wiltons on Jermyn Street, for a proper occasion.
The River Cafe, alongside something simple off the wood-fired grill.
Food Pairings
Roast duck with a cherry sauce, letting the fruit meet the wine's darker register.
