Clos Vougeot

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Vougeot is named for the River Vouge, which is in fact only a stream separating Vougeot from Chambolle-Musigny. Monks first planted vine in Clos de Vougeot in the 12th century. Nowadays, protected by a wall of stones, Clos de Vougeot is one of the largest single vineyards in Burgundy producing grand cru wines.

The vineyard is roughly rectangular, sloping from a corner in the northwest down toward the south and east. The finest soils are those surrounding the château in the top corner; the least lie along the flat eastern border, where the drainage is relatively poor. The composition declines from well-drained chalky clay higher up, to humus-rich damper soil lower down. Thus, each year the monks made three cuvées, one each from the higher, middle, and lower thirds of the vineyard.

The vineyard of Clos de Vougeot is shared between a large number of owners, so inevitably there is some mediocre as well as some very fine wine made. Cheap Clos de Vougeot, on the other hand, is very rare indeed: even the premier cru is often expensive, and the grand cru produced typically from higher up the hill more so. That said, the best is traditionally reckoned to be amongst the finest red wine in the world.

[edit] See also

• French wine