Visit at Domaine Bruno Clavelier – March 2013

I have followed Bruno Claveliers wines for quite some time now, and really enjoy and admire the pure terroir driven style of this fine Domaine. I was therefore very exited when I had the opportunity to visit Domaine Bruno Clavelier the day after Trilogie en Cote de Nuits – to taste some more of his 2011s.

Dedication to quality and terroir

Bruno Clavelier is a very friendly but also extremely dedicated man. His perfectionistic approach to wine making and his understanding of the terroir is impressive, and this is expressed fully in the wines he makes.

The Clavelier wines are not overengineered with oak or extraction, they are terroir driven wines made with tremendous attention to detail – both in the vineyard and in the cellar. The expression of the terroir is essential for Bruno Clavelier – and he enthusiastically explain about different terroirs in Vosne-Romanee.

The soil and the terroirs of Vosne Romanee

In the Clavelier tasting room you find samples of the different types of soil found in the Cote de Nuits, and soon after we arrived Bruno starts to explain the composition of the soil in the different terroirs – from Les Hautes de Beaux-Monts on the top of the sloap to Les Haut Maizieres below Les Suchot.

He use a pen and board to visualise (see photo below) and explain with great enthusiasm about the different layers in the soil and the composition of each layer.

The dedication and attention to detail is impressive – a very inspirering lesson for all who love the Vosne terroirs.

Tasting of the Bruno Clavelier 2011s

I tasted some of Bruno Claveliers wines at the Trilogie tasting, and we tasted the rest of the 2011s at the visit at Domaine Clavelier the following day – the tasting notes cover the wines tasted at both occations.

Bourgogne Aligote 2011

The Aligote from Bruno Clavelier is made from very old vines – 85 years – and this is really showing. It’s a lovely rich Aligote offering good balance and fruit – it’s pure and quite harmonious with a lovely freshness.

Bourgogne Chardonney 2011

The Bourgogne Chadonney offer a lovely crisp and harmonious fruit – so typical for the 2011 whites. It’s made from old wines – 65 years – and this is showing. The bouquet offer fine yellow fruit with notes melon, pear and citrus. On the palate good quite rich fruit – old wines – and a lovely balance and complexity for this level. A quite beautiful Bourgogne Blanc – would be happy to have a case of this wine.
(Drink from Now) – Above Average 84p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Bourgogne Rouge 2011

The bourgogne rouge offer a lovely crisp and pure red berry fruit. It’s harmonious with a good nerve and energy in the fruit. It offer a quite good concentration for this level and beautiful pure expression of pinot fruit. Not a big wine – but nevertheless lovely.
(Drink from Now) – Above Average 84p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Vosne-Romanee Les Hautes de Beaux Monts 2011

The Hautes de Beaux Monts offer a lovely expression of Vosne terroir. In the bouquet red and dark pinot fruit with a lovely spicy minerality. On the palate lovely vibrant fruit focused by the fine minerality and the crisp acidity. A impressive village offering a fine and precise expression of terroir.
(Drink from 2020) – Very Good 88p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Vosne-Romanee Les Hautes Maizieres 2011

The Vosne-Romanee Les Hautes Maizieres 2011 offer a bit more body and weight. The nose is very expressive with red berry fruit spiced with violets and rose petals. The palate offer lovely rich fruit structured by the fine minerality and quiite vibrant acidity. Have a soft spot for this terroir – a lovely wine .
(Drink from 2020) – Very Good 89p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Vosne-Romanee La Combe Brulee 2011

The Vosne-Romanee La Combe Brulee 2011 is a beauty … crammed with fruit and minerality. The nose offer lovely playful red fruit – raspberries, red currant with hints of rose petals. The palate display a – for the level – quite intense juicy fruit with a beautiful focusing minerality. All is beautifully balanced – building up to the long and mineralic finish. A truly beautiful village in the making.
(Drink from 2022) – Very Good 89p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Chambolle-Musigny Les Corbeaux 2011

The Chambolle Les Corbeaux 2011 is a step up in weight and fruit intensity. The nose offer lovely deep red and dark berriy fruit-‘ with more earthy notes than the very mineralic Vosne villages. The palate show more weight, with a rich and pure pinot fruit – has a quite earthy and powerful style. A lovely wine with a more weighty expression of pinot.
(Drink from 2022) – Very Good+ 91p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Chambolle-Musigny Les Noirots 2011

The Chambolle Les Noirots is located below Bonnes Mares, and shares the terroir expression of the red part of this grand cru vineyard. In the bouquet rich and ripe pinot fruit – with red and dark berries. On the palate a rich and more dense expression from the powerful terroir – the fruit is fresh and vibrant but the terroir is slightly on the dense and austere side. A very good wine – but I’m somehow missing the highly strung minerality of some of the Vosne wines.
(Drink from 2024) – Very Good 90p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulee 2011

The Vosne Aux Brulee is one of my favorites from Clavelier. The bouquet is crammed with red fruit and minerality – violets and rose petals – a classic Vosne nose. On the palate intense red fruit – fresh with a lovely tension and nerve from the fine minerality of this great terroir. It’s perfectly balanced with a long mineralic finish. Love the energy and nerve in this wine – beautiful pinot juice.
(Drink from 2023) – Fine 92p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts 2011

The Vosne Les Beaux Monts is another beautiful effort. The nose is offering a intense and spicy expression of red berry fruit with hints of violets and liqourice. On the palate intense and balanced with a good midpalate concentration of vibrant pinot fruit. The minerality is powerful, refined and focused – providing a solid framework for the quite rich fruit. Love the harmony and intensity in this wine – a wine for the cellar.
(Drink from 2023) – Fine+ 92p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d’Orveaux 2011

The Chambolle La Combe d’Orveaux is from a small vineyard just above the Musigny vineyard. This may be a 1er cru but one sense the intense power and depth of the neighbouring grand cru. The bouquet offer red berry fruit – Chambolle style – with a stony but very refined minerality. On the palate rich and complex pinot fruit supported by the very intense minerality of this fine terroir. The finish is long and persistant with a vibrant almost grand cru like intensity. This is a great 1er cru – and a very lovely wine.
(Drink from 2025) – Fine+ 93p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 2011

I have a soft spot for the Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras – and the Clavelier 2011 confirm my passion for this terroir. In the bouquet lovely red and dark fruit – black currant and raspberries with some hints of red currant and rose petals. The palate offer good weight and concentration with more creamy textures than the Vosne wines – the minerality is quite intense and focused – giving the wine a powerful and energetic expression. A lovely balanced and intense 1er cru in the making.
(Drink from 2022) – Fine 92p – Tasted 19/03/2013

Corton Rognets 2011

The Corton Rognets is the only Grand Cru in the Clavelier range. In the bouquet it offers dark and intense quite earthy pinot aromas – notes of blue berries, raspberries with some floral notes. On the palate quite muscular with dark and quite weighty fruit – the tannins are finely grained and quite powerful. A pure, powerful and harmonious Corton – but I nevertheless tend to prefer some of the beautiful 1er cru’s from Clavelier.
(Drink from 2027) – Fine+ 92p – Tasted 19/03/2013

A matured wine for the road

At the end of the 2011 tasting we tasted an older wine – to get some aging perspective of the wines tasted. Bruno found a lovely 2002 in the cellar – a real treat.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 2002

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 2002 is now showing matured notes. In the bouquet red berry fruit with notes of sous-bois, orange and liqourice. On the palate lovely pure and ripe red fruits – good freshness and nerve – with a lovely transparancy. It’s medium bodied with a lovely mineralic intensity, energy and length. A gorgous 2002 – not fully matured but is fresh and drinking beautifully.
(Drink from 2015) – Fine+ 92p – Tasted 19/03/2013