Domaine de la Vougeraie : Vougeot 1er cru "Les Cras" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Vougeot 2023 from Domaine de la Vougeraie

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a purple hue ranging from medium to light intensity.

Nose
The nose opens with fine freshness and pronounced minerality, releasing dominant aromas of red fruits.

Palate
On the palate, this wine combines elegance with a transparent expression of terroir. It reveals a dense and powerful character, supported by a fine concentration of red fruit. The tannins, firm yet well-judged, give it a solid structure built for ageing.

Service and storage

Boasting great ageing potential, this Vougeot 2023 can be kept and enjoyed until around 2038.

Other characteristics

This vintage has been praised by critics, who have highlighted its typicity, freshness and fine minerality.

The authentic expression of a great Burgundy wine

The estate

Founded in 1999 by the Boisset family, Domaine de la Vougeraie today spans a vineyard at the heart of Burgundy. Currently led by Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset, with Sylvie Poillot as General Manager, the estate stands out for its pioneering and unwavering commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture. This family-run estate skilfully combines the historic heritage of its prestigious terroirs with a modern, environmentally responsible approach, establishing itself as a key reference in the region.

The vineyard

The plot dedicated to this wine lies within the famous Vougeot vineyard, originally planted by Cistercian monks around 1150. The vines flourish on dark brown soils that become increasingly clay-rich higher up the slope. True to its philosophy, the estate cultivates this terroir according to the principles of biodynamic and organic farming, incorporating traditional methods such as horse ploughing to preserve soil vitality and biodiversity.

The vintage

2023 stands as the hottest year ever recorded in the region. The growing cycle was marked by contrasting conditions: a cool spell lasting until mid-August, followed by an intense heatwave at the end of the month and into September, which accelerated ripening. Faced with a generous harvest, rigorous green harvesting was carried out to concentrate the aromas. Red grape harvesting in this area began on 16 September, yielding grapes in impeccable health.

Winemaking and ageing

The making of this Vougeot 2023 favours gentle handling. A cold pre-fermentation maceration precedes fermentation in wooden vats with indigenous yeasts, incorporating 48% whole clusters. Manual punching down is carried out before gentle pressing using a vertical press. The wine is then transferred by gravity for ageing over 16 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which are new, made from wood sourced from the Cîteaux forest and dried for three years. Malolactic fermentation was completed at the end of October 2023.