Wine Advisor
Alain Hudelot Noellat, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is the one cru that did not "click" with me out of barrel, coming across a little sullen compared to the Vosne Premier Crus. The palate is better thanks to the fine, slightly chalky tannins and the almost racy acidity that lends so much freshness and nervosité on the finish. Once the aromatics meld together, as I am sure they will do by the time of bottling, this should evolve into a fine Clos de Vougeot.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Aromas of wild berries, spices, peonies, dark chocolate and subtle hints of grilled meats introduce the 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a full-bodied, deep and broad-shouldered wine that's deep, concentrated and reserved. It had a late malolactic, making this one of the more backward cuvées in the cellar. There are fully 14 barrels this year, equating to a yield of around 45 hectoliters per hectare from the domaine's 0.69-hectare parcel.
About the Producer
In 1962, Alain inherited two small parcels of his father's Chambolle-Musigny Grand Cru Les Chames, plus several vineyards from his marriage to the great-granddaughter of Charles Noellat, a Vosne-Romanee winery family, and he established Domaine Alain Hudelot Noellat. The winery is now about 10 hectares (24 hectares) in size. The estate now has about 10 hectares (24 acres) of vineyards with an average age of over 50 years, including several dating back to 1920, including the vineyard at Romanée-Saint-Vivant. The winery is known for its lighter wines with nuanced and natural flavors. Now managed by third-generation grandson Charles van Canneyts, Hudelot-Nollat is not so different from its grandfather's time, when it was less visible in the thicker wines, but now it has the advantage of refinement, often with fresh, bright fruit, balanced acidity and silky tannins. The vinification is entirely de-stemmed, using local yeasts that are not comparable to artificial yeasts, with a relatively long pre-fermentation cold soak, mainly with trampled skins, and 18 months in new barrels at 20-60%. In 2012, Charles also started to buy grapes from other winegrowers under his own name to make his wine. Vosne-Romanee is a blend of three first growths, Suchots, Beaumonts and Malconsorts, and as young as it is, the Hudelot-Noellat family owns three first growths that are over 100 years old, so this VR is ostensibly a village wine, but with a first growth heritage. Jasper Morris MW has high praise for Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat. He believes that while Alain Hudelot's management has produced fine style reds, Charles van Canneyt has taken over and given the wines more concentration and backbone, retaining their elegance, but with more ageing potential and balance.
