Grand Cru Monopole 2013

95 points, “Fresh and vivacious.” – Neal Martin, February 2019

Clos de Tart is one of the cornerstones of Burgundy. Picked from 60+ year old vines, this was one of the last vintages made by Sylvain Pitiot, making it even more sought after. Harvest late in 2013, the wine is dark, brooding and packed with old vine concentration. There’s spiced plums, blackberry liqueur, juicy black cherry, wild strawberry, violets, woody herbs and woodsmoke. But despite all that richness and depth, there’s also an enviable energy, elegance and refinement. This is a Cote de Nuits to tuck away for a couple more years or even decades if you can.

Clos de Tart is a 7.5 hectare Burgundy Grand Cru in Morey-Saint-Denis, sandwiched between the Grands Crus of Bonnes Mares and Clos des Lambrays. This impressive wall-enclosed vineyard is entirely owned by Mommessin, making it a monopole. Mommessin was bought in 2017 by François and François-Henri Pinault's Artemis Group, who also own Bordeaux’s First Growth Château Latour and the auction house Christie’s, and are controlling shareholders of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Stella McCartney, demonstrating what a fashionable and sought-after property this is.

Created by a group of nuns in 1141, Clos de Tart has become one of the most prized wines in all of Burgundy. It’s the largest monopole in the region and has never been broken up, which makes it incredibly special considering how regularly Burgundy is carved into smaller and smaller pieces. According to Burgundy expert Bill Nanson, Clos de Tart “sits in a peer group of no more than a dozen wines”, and from this legendary plot Mommessin make just two wines, the Grand Vin and a rarely seen second wine La Forge de Tart, and occasionally a Marc de Burgundy.