2017 Domaine de La Vougeraie Vougeot Clos Prieure Rouge

Though Vougeot is best known for the highly reputed Clos de Vougeot, covering almost 51 hectares, the Premier Cru and Village appellations in the remaining 16.5 hectares should not be forgotten. Connoisseurs yearn for this wine, sitting at the night hand of its lord, and sharing most of the qualities of the Grand Cru.

HISTORY

For the first 680 years of this vineyard’s history, it was tended by the monks of Cîteaux, who planted the Clos de Vougeot and the majority of the neighbouring plots at the start of the 12th century. The Clos du Prieuré, like the others, was sold off at the end of the 18th century under the French Revolution. The Clos du Prieuré (priory enclosure) belonged to the Benedictine Priory of the Abbey of SaintGermain-des-Prés in Paris, who owned land in the neighbouring parish of Gilly from the 11th century. As the Abbey of Cîteaux grew, conflicts with Saint-Germain-des-Prés were inevitable. In 1499 Jean de Cirey, Abbot of Cîteaux, after selling off part of the Abbey’s crockery, finally succeeded in paying off the debt to the Parisian Abbey, which was forced to accept some land near Melun in exchange for abandoning its rights at Gilly and Vougeot.

OUR PARCEL

Surface: 1,0019 ha Geographical situation: enclosure with high walls, ripening early, alongside a stream (La Vouge). Exposure: East-facing. Plantings: between 1901 and 1983 Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir Soil and subsoil: very calcareous, lots of rounded pebbles. Probable pure silt subsoil. Planting density: 10 000 vines/ha Rootstock: 80 % of massal selection and 20 % of clones. Pest management since 1992 Organic agriculture: since 1997. Received official approval ECOCERT® in 1999. Bio-dynamic agriculture since the 2001 campaign. Training style: Guyot

Le Domaine de la Vougeraie

Vineyard news: Ullage planted out. Earthing-up of the vines in winter. Spraying of nettle and rhubarb, horsetail, yarrow, tansy, comfrey tea during each treatment. Biodynamic preparation of 500 and 501 at the end of the winter and of 501 in spring before the flower. Suckers removed in spring.