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Clos de Tart

Alessandro Noli, former winemaker at Château Grillet, is now fully embedded in Burgundy. In the recent Morey merry-go-round, it can get a little confusing who made what and when, but things appear to now be settled and Noli can begin writing his own chapter in this historic monopole. “We started the picking on 13 September and did six days of harvest instead of the usual five,” he told me in what must constitute one of the most luxurious tasting rooms in the Côte d’Or. “We now split the clos into 12 sectors, so it takes longer. We are analysing each plot at the University of Bordeaux to ascertain ideal quantities of whole bunches and trials blends, whether they add or not. Frédéric Engerer asked me: What is your idea of Clos de Tart? I feel that it has a masculinity that comes naturally. So, I want to find the more feminine side, like a Chambolle. I like the tannins to be silky, which is why I stopped completely with the pigeage and began foulage [crushing], which is ten times gentler and less brutal. I did around two _foulages per vat. Also, I don’t believe in 100% new oak and so I said let’s try 70% on the Grand Cru and 50% on La Forge. We have new wooden tanks and I didn’t know how the new wood would impact the wine. So, I made two cuvées in steel tanks to balance the wood and the wine. I think 70% matches the Clos de Tart very well. It’s a different wine compared to the wines made under Sylvain Pitiot.”

Following my visit to Clos de Tart, I came away thinking how Noli is a clever winemaker, moving it gently away from some of the over-extracted, hedonistic wines of the past. Tasting the 2018 and 2019 side-by-side, I definitely prefer the 2019 by comparison, the former suffering partly because of the growing season and partly because wines sometimes do become “distracted” when the baton is passed from one winemaker to another. Noli seems to be imbuing Clos de Tart with greater finesse and nerve whilst keeping the identity of the vineyard. With no expense being spared in reconstructing the winery, it will be fascinating to witness the next decade of Clos de Tart. The 2019 is a great way for Noli to open his account.

From La Lumière Noire: 2019 Burgundy - Côte de Nuits (Dec 2020) by Neal Martin

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2018 Clos de Tart Grand Cru

Color: Red

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