2022 Domaine Bruno Clavelier 'Les Chailles' Pinot Noir Vin de France

Winemaker Notes: Reserved, private and soft-spoken, Bruno Clavelier prefers to let his wines speak for him. And they do, telling a story of great elegance, purity, and depth. Bruno succeeded his grandfather at the family's 6.5-hectare domaine in the heart of Vosne-Romanée. The wines were sold to negoçiants until 1988, when Bruno decided to estate bottle their wines. A pioneer in organic farming long before it was common, his grandfather never used chemicals or potassium fertilizers. Bruno now farms using biodynamic principle and has been certified since 2005. Some 95% of the vineyards are planted to traditional Pinot Noir Fin, using an old practice of hand-selecting cuttings from the very best vineyards, and yields are naturally low. The vines were mostly planted in the 1930s and 1940s, earning the designation of Vieilles Vignes for most of the wines.

The wines are produced with minimal intervention and the utmost respect for the vineyards' terroir. Fermentation takes place in oak open-top fermenters with up to 30% whole cluster. Indigenous yeast allows for fermentations to start naturally and with manual punch downs. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, the wine is aged in oak barrels (Tronçais, Allier) for 16-18 months (30% new for 1er Cru and Grand Cru, and less for village level). The wines are bottled without fining or filtration, and the bottling happens under a neutral gas so that the amount of SO2 can be as low as possible. A gifted fifth-generation vigneron, Bruno's delicate touch produces some of the best, most refined wines in Burgundy.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Vinous - "The 2022 Pinot Noir - Les Chailles the first commercialized vintage from a parcel of vines planted in 2015 just outside the appellation, having been planted with vines before phylloxera (Clavelier has applied to the INAO to reinstate its status.) It has a light but attractive nose with red cherry fruit mixed with orange pith and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied, supple and silky, very cohesive with gentle grip on the finish. This is a beautiful wine from Clavelier... and just a Vin de France(legally). " (NM 11.23)