The rich history of Burgundy envelopes you at every turn, from the Gothic church spires, colorful glazed roof tiles and craggy stone walls to gnarly old vines and the modest castles that dot the countryside. No more deeply or directly is this history felt than at Clos de Tart. Clos de Tart is one of the oldest estates in the Cote d'Or and the largest of the six Monopole Grand Cru vineyards still intact. Monopole means that the entire vineyard is under single ownership, a rarity in Burgundy due to the post-French Revolution inheritance law that required vineyards be divided equally among children after the French Revolution. Clos de Tart was "saved" from the fragmentation of the vineyards because it has only changed ownership once since the French Revolution and the current owners, the Mommessin Family, have kept the entire vineyard intact, rather than divide it by each sibling. Compared to most parcels within Burgundy's Grand Cru vineyards, some of which are as small as a quarter of an acre, Clos de Tart's single-owned site of 7.5 hectares is monolithic. This single block of mid-slope vineyard surrounded by a waist-high rock wall, and the wine that Clos de Tart produces from its grapes, proved to be a provocative and delicious introduction to Burgundy's terroir.
The estate's history began in the early 12th century around 1411 when a religious order of nuns, the Tart Abbey Bernadine sisters, retained ownership of the vineyard. They handled most aspects of the site for hundreds of years until 1791 when Clos de Tart was purchased by the Marey-Monge family, before finally being acquired by the Mommessin family from the Mâconnais. Since its creation, this Clos has never been parcelled out and it is presently the largest Grand Cru classified property in Burgundy.
The 2018 Clos de Tart shows a wonderfully fresh, bright and layered bouquet reflecting notes of red and black cherry, plum, violet, lavender, earth and a subtle, yet not invisible, touch of wood. Aged in 80% new French oak, the palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, a core of slightly candied black cherry and blackcurrant fruit framed by quite “strict” tannins and a fresh, marine-influenced finish that lingers long in the mouth. One of the finest wines from the Côte d'Or in 2018.
