2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

The 2023 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, confit orange and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's a textural, creamy wine with ripe tannins and a spicy, perfumed finish. This is another strong set of wines from Charles Van Canneyt—but that won't surprise readers familiar with this estate's consistent excellence. Van Canneyt has had the reins here for over a decade now, and his approach has crystalized: the predominantly destemmed fruit, retained intact, is fermented in cement tanks for a classical maceration of two to three weeks. Élevage is in barrels now predominantly sourced from Cavin, with Cadus in a supporting role, and lasts fully 18 months in the domaine's cold cellar, with the exception of the Bourgogne Rouge, which is bottled before harvest. These uncomplicated methods, combined with an enviable palette of appellations planted with notably old vines, produce elegant, charming wines with impressive substance and aging potential. I've been buying them for my own cellar since my student days, so this is an address I warmly recommend.

The 2023 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, confit orange and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's a textural, creamy wine with ripe tannins and a spicy, perfumed finish.

A whiff of herbal tea sits atop the earthy humus-tinged aromas of mostly red berries and all but inviable oak. The vibrant and detailed, if not especially dense, medium weight flavors flash focused power and excellent length on the somewhat raspy but not really astringent finish. This is on the awkward side today and it’s hard to say if it will better harmonize with age though my projected range offers the benefit of the doubt. Drink from 2035.