Domaine du Clos de Tart ‘Clos de Tart’ Grand Cru Monopole 2016

The Domaine
Clos de Tarts is a unique Burgundy estate owing to its 900 years of rich history. This great terroir was moulded by the Bernandine nuns of Abbey de Tart. Having acquired the land and vines in 1141, they remained their owners up to the French Revolution. Then, in 1791, Clos de Tart was passed to the Marey-Monge family before being acquired by the Mommessin family in 1932.

Today, it is the Pinault family, known for their love of historical estates such as Château Latour in Pauillac, who take close care of the grounds at the Clos. As such, significant renovation work has been carried out in order to enhance the estate’s exceptional architectural heritage. Amongst other things, a new winery was inaugurated in 2019 and this marvel of modernity paved the way for haute couture winemaking, bringing the estate to new heights of excellence.

Located at the heart of the Côte de Nuits, Clos de Tart benefits from an exceptional terroir. The Pinot Noir vines, aged by 60 years on average, are laid out from north to south and are deeply rooted in soils which vary between limestone, clay, pebbles, gravel and marl. This homogeneous exposure and complex geology led the owners to demarcate the Clos into 12 different microclimates, all harvested separately. To preserve this precious terroir, Clos de Tart has been cultivated with biodynamic agriculture since 2016, obtaining the Biodyvin certification in 2019.

This rich history and exceptional terroir places Clos de Tart under the Grand Cru Monopole designation, a most prestigious title. Indeed, the Grand Cru classification only brings together terroirs which produce rare wines. Clos de Tart has the distinctive feature of being the largest in Burgundy, with some hundred-year-old vines that cover 7.53 hectares. As for the Monopole aspect, it is implied that the grounds have never been divided during handovers, something that is rare for Burgundy.

All of these particularities, combined with an age-old know-how and great precision, make the wines from the Clos bottlings that are highly sought after by the finest connoisseurs and unanimously hailed by critics. With its three bottlings – the Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole, the La Forge de Tart Premier Cru and the Morey-Saint-Denis, this emblem from Burgundy highlights its signature style, where excellence is matched only by rarity.

Wine Advocate 97-99
The 2016 Clos de Tart Grand Cru was assessed from a blend of all the component parts (except the young vines) that I previously tasted separately, as I have done over the last decade. The final blend will be 80% new oak, whereas my sample contained 100%, although this was discrete and enmeshed with the fruit. It has a fascinating bouquet, much more nuanced than those from a decade ago, dark fruit, a little earthier, with the stem addition lending it more freshness and even, dare I say, slightly green—and I mean that in a very positive sense. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, a core of slightly candied black cherry and blackcurrant fruit framed by quite “strict” tannin and a fresh, marine-influenced, brine-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. There is a sense of harmony and completeness here that, even over 20 years tasting at this address, I have rarely encountered. You can just feel the frisson in this wine. One of the finest wines from the Côte d’Or in 2016. It’s that simple. (NM)