2008 Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru has a lucid hue. This is very impressive on the nose with ripe red plum and briary scents, a touch of sous-bois, wonderful vivacity considering the challenges of the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with better substance than many of its peers. There is a focus and symmetry here that really sets it apart from others and despite being intermixed with some very stiff competition of Clos de Vougeot's from the late Philippe Engel, this completely holds its own. Bon vin.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
(12.9% alcohol; 30 h/h; 10/2 harvest): Medium red with a hint of amber. Perfumed nose offers scents of red berries, medicinal black cherry, orange zest and menthol. Not particularly deep or powerful but youthful, salty and gripping as well as silky and seamless. The wine's dark fruit flavors are complicated by classic Clos Vougeot pepper and herb elements and a hint of orange zest. Finishes with firm, late-arriving tannins. This wine is still short of its peak. Labet noted that he waited until the beginning of October to pick because the grape skins still needed time to ripen, adding that the potential alcohol level remained stable in the days leading up to the harvest.
Crimson. Sweet damson juice on the nose. Then rather winning vibrant fruit. Dense and concentrated and a bit of a lounge lizard in terms of its seduction potential. Oak has played quite a substantial part in this wine. But it is not without its attractions. Just very slightly pruney. (JR)
Rich, aromatic dark sour cherry fruit. Fine, dense tannins, so fine you almost don’t realise how well structured this is. Finish is long, fluid. Like a well-cut dark suit. (JH)