# Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (2012)

- **Producer:** Domaine Méo-Camuzet
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Burgundy, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €475
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, raspberry, violet, rose, black pepper, liquorice, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, leather, mushroom, forest floor, game

## About this wine

Domaine Méo-Camuzet's connection to Vougeot is legendary. In 1920, Étienne Camuzet, a prominent French politician, purchased the historic Château du Clos de Vougeot along with its prime 3-hectare vineyard. After World War II, Camuzet donated the physical castle to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin to preserve it as a temple for Burgundy wine, but he retained his premier vines directly at the foot of the castle walls. The estate was later bequeathed to Jean Méo, who entrusted the winemaking to the iconic Henri Jayer. Jayer mentored Jean-Nicolas Méo when he took over in 1989. Today, this background creates the perfect union of Jayer-influenced winemaking with arguably the best-located plot in Clos de Vougeot, situated entirely at the very top of the appellation.

## Interesting facts

- The estate's 3-hectare plot is located at the very top of the Clos de Vougeot, directly at the foot of the historic castle.
- One-third of the vines in this parcel were planted in 1920, making them over 90 years old during the 2012 harvest.
- Founder Étienne Camuzet donated the Château du Clos de Vougeot to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin after WWII.

## Food pairing

This Grand Cru Pinot Noir demands rich, earthy, and gamey dishes. Its high acidity cuts through the fat of duck, pheasant, and wild game, while its structured tannins and pronounced intensity match the weight of slow-cooked meats. The earthy, forest-floor undertones of the aged wine pair beautifully with mushrooms and black truffles.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process follows the meticulous methods inherited from mentor Henri Jayer. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand and undergo a rigorous double-sorting process on conveyor belts. The fruit is 100% destemmed before undergoing a cold pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures for three to five days. Fermentation is conducted using indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled concrete vats for two to three weeks. For the Clos de Vougeot, vinification aims for higher-than-average extraction, including pigeage toward the end of fermentation, to build structure. The wine is aged for approximately 17 to 18 months in 80% to 100% new French oak barrels, principally fine-grained Tronçais oak. Finally, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered by gravity.