Chateau de la Tour, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2014

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(this is the last vintage of this wine to come entirely from a block of vines planted in 1910, and the last to be labeled Vieilles Vignes de Plus de 100 Ans, as François Labet is beginning a replanting program; beginning with 2015, this wine will come from several of Labet's holdings around the Clos and will simply be called Vieilles Vignes): Bright ruby-red. Lovely mineral and peony high notes lift dark fruits on the nose. Sappy, dense and penetrating, offering terrific concentration and lift to its flavors of dark berries, licorice and minerals. A superb vintage for this wine, less austere than some previous years. We're coming from an era of cooler soils to warmer soils, noted Labet. Global warming has been very good for Clos-Vougeot. This thick but energetic wines finishes with suave but serious building tannins and superb length. Incidentally, there was no separate Hommage bottling in 2014.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deeper red-ruby color than the regular cuvée. Riper aromas of blackcurrant, licorice and menthol, along with a tarry nuance. Sweet, plush and deep; considerably more tactile than the regular Clos-Vougeot (this is 13. 5% natural alcohol). Saline, concentrated wine with a chewy quality and an almost chocolatey ripeness. This will merit a score at the high end of my projected range if it develops more personality during its final months of élevage. This cuvée includes the Homage a Jean Morin fruit in 2014. It was previously made from just one parcel of old vines but as of 2014 includes the estate's oldest vines in all of its parcels in Clos-Vougeot.