There are places in Burgundy where history, terroir and wine truly become one.
Château de la Tour, located within the walls of Clos de Vougeot itself, is one of them.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the estate, discover its cellars and, above all, taste several vintages of Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru. A particularly interesting visit to better understand the work carried out here over several generations.
A unique estate in the heart of Clos de Vougeot
With 5.5 hectares spread across several plots, Château de la Tour is the largest landowner within Clos de Vougeot.
Its uniqueness, however, goes far beyond its size: it is the only estate located within the walls of the Clos where the wines are harvested, vinified, aged and bottled on site. A truly distinctive situation in Burgundy.
Today, the estate is run by François and Édouard Labet, continuing a family history passed down through generations.
A committed approach in the vineyard
The estate has followed organic farming principles since 1992 and has been certified organic since 2021.
Since the 2009 vintage, Sylvain Pataille has also worked alongside the estate on its winemaking.
This pursuit of precision takes on particular significance when working with a terroir as historic and complex as Clos de Vougeot.
From the Côte de Beaune to Clos de Vougeot
The tasting began with two white wines from Domaine Pierre Labet:
Beaune Clos des Monsnières Blanc 2022
Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Vergelesses 1er Cru Blanc 2023
We then moved on to the heart of the tasting: Clos de Vougeot.
We tasted:
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2022
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2019
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2013
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2006
A particularly interesting vertical tasting, offering the opportunity to follow the evolution of the same great terroir through very different vintages.
Rather than looking for a single “best” vintage, it is precisely this evolution that makes such a tasting so fascinating: understanding how a wine develops over time and gradually reveals the character of its origin.
Burgundy is also understood in the vineyard
That is probably what I took away most from this visit.
You can know an appellation, read about an estate or have tasted its wines before. But visiting the vineyard, seeing the plots, walking down into the cellars and tasting several vintages with the people behind the wines brings a completely different understanding.
This is also an essential part of the work we do at Destination Wines.
Being regularly present in Burgundy, meeting winemakers, tasting their wines and understanding their work allows us to make better selections and, above all, to share their stories more meaningfully with our clients.
Discover Burgundy differently
Destination Wines works with private clients and professionals wishing to discover the wines of Burgundy through a selection of family-owned estates, access to more confidential wines and allocations, as well as private tastings and bespoke experiences in Burgundy.
To organise a tasting or create a bespoke experience in the Burgundy vineyards, contact us.