Corton “Clos du Roi” Grand Cru Reviews

The 2009 Corton Le Clos du Roi (from 65-year-old vines) is elegant and subtle wine. Generous fruit radiates from the warm, open center. This is a totally classy wine that caresses the palate with silky tannins and impeccable grace. Here Vincent used a lower percentage of whole clusters (20%) than in a number of other wines, and employed 60% new oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Biodynamic farming and non-interventionalist winemaking are at the heart of the approach at Domaine de la Vougeraie. The 2009s saw roughly a 25 days of maceration (including a week of cold soak) with one punch down a day. Once in barrel racking was kept to a bare minimum. A number of wines were bottled in late 2010 and early 2011. I tasted these wines with winemaker Pierre Vincent in March 2011.

Subtle spice, earth and the classic game notes add a layering effect to the very fresh and ripe red currant and cassis aromas that give way to a textured, intense and overtly muscular big-bodied flavors that are firm, powerful and palate-staining on the hugely long finish. This is an imposing but not ponderous effort that should require 12 to 15 years to arrive at its peak. 2021+