How rare is white Vougeot? I found some!!!

Yup, was browsing around for some Viognier and came across a `01 Clos du Prieure from Dom.de la Vougeraie. Cost was over $80.00 Cdn, believe it is a Boisset label. How rare is Vougeot Blanc...must be chardonnay?

It's a monopole of Domaine de la Vougeraie which is owned by Boisset. Important distinction that is sometimes confusing, this is not white Grand Cru, nor is it 1er Cru white wine from Clos de Vougeot. The vineyard is Clos Blanc de Vougeot which is a premier cru directly beside Clos de Vougeot the Grand Cru. That confuses a lot of people, especially since there is Musigny Blanc, that is, white wine from the Grand Cru vineyard Musigny. There is not white wine from Clos de Vougeot.

In other words, yes it is white Vougeot, white wine from the village of Vougeot, but not white Clos de Vougeot, a Grand Cru vineyard in the village of Vougeot.

It's Chardonnay just about any other white Burgundy...

That IS confusing. Thanks for the explanation.

Wow! I learn something new everyday. Thanks Alan.

Map

Let's see if this works. Here's the map. Look north of Clos de Vougeot.

Thanks Alan, pretty confusing? I agree. What is the definition of "monopole?".

Thanks Alan, pretty confusing? I agree. What is the definition of "monopole?".

A "monopole" is just a "monopoly" in English, an appellation owned by one estate.

See the Wikipedia entry on monopole which has an incomplete list of monopoles, perhaps the most famous being Romanee-Conti. I'm adding the Clos de Vougeot, thanks to everyone for the information.

Walt

A "monopole" is just a "monopoly" in English, an appellation owned by one estate.

See the Wikipedia entry on monopole which has an incomplete list of monopoles, perhaps the most famous being Romanee-Conti. I'm adding the Clos de Vougeot, thanks to everyone for the information.

I assume you meant you're adding Le Clos Blanc (AOC Vougeot Premier Cru).

Clos de Vougeot (the grand cru) is sort of the exact opposite of a monopole--something like 70 different growers own plots of vines within the vineyard.

-Paul W.

Clos de Vougeot (the grand cru) is sort of the exact opposite of a monopole--something like 70 different growers own plots of vines within the vineyard.

for which we have the term "morsellated."

Mark Lipton

Bob,

I don't know about that white Vougeot, but it's interesting that at least one white from the Cote de Nuits, the white Nuits St Georges "Les Perriers" from Henri Gouges, actually comes from Pinot Noir vines that mutated and started producing white grapes! Apparently, this is not all that uncommon for Pinot Noir.

At any rate, the flavor character of a white Cote de Nuits is likely to be quite interesting, and different from what one is used to from places like Puligny, Chassagne, or Meursault. Good find! ...Paul

The wine is massively scaled. It is much more tropical and full than any of the wines from the big 3. In addition, Vougeraie uses a thorough dose of oak in it. Despite my seemingly damning description of it, I actually like the wine a lot, but it is hardly an aperetif! It also can be very expensive...although $80 Cdn is a fair price as it has often been $100+ in the states in recent vintages.

Domaine de la Vougeraie groups the best sites owned by the Boisset group and is the only Boisset label which I trust. Vineyard sites include grands crus Charmes-Chambertin, Corton Clos du Roi, Bonnes Mares, Clos de Vougeot and various 1er crus in Nuits, Beaune, Vougeot, etc.

It is run by the talented Pascal Marchand who, incidentally, is Canadian. Pascal Marchand worked wonders when he managed the Domaine du Comte Armand in pommard (clos des Epeneaux) and is now repeating the exploit on a larger scale.

WAS run by Pascal Marchand. He left recently...

Thanks for all the info everyone. Alan certainly seems up on Burgundy, what a lot of interest you have shown. I asked this question over on the UK forum and they are not nearly as close to the facts!! In fact, there is a conversation going on right now about blending in Pinot Blanc in that area. Is that so?
I am still a bit confused about where this comes from but that is all due to the appellation rules eh. Will reread all the posts after submitting this!!!

Thanks for the kind words.

There is Pinot Blanc and maybe a little touch of Pinot Gris as well. The Pinot Blanc is pretty obvious when one tastes the wine IMO. According to the domaine, this vineyard has been planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc for centuries.

Marchand's departure is not good news. Do you know who is his successor and where Marchand is going?

I agree. They just moved up someone in the organization, I think from Jaffelin or something to take over.

Marchand is setting up his own negocient label.

Actually, I just found it. His name is Pierre Vincent. From Bourgogne Aujourd'gui:

"Pierre Vincent est depuis le 1er mai régisseur du domaine de la Vougeraie (Nuits-Saint-Georges). L'exploitation, fleuron qualitatif du groupe Boisset, regroupe les vignobles (37 hectares) de la maison depuis 1999. Le québécois Pascal Marchand en était le régisseur depuis cette date. Pierre Vincent, 32 ans, titulaire d'un diplôme national d'œnologie, était en charge de la maison Jaffelin (Beaune), autre entité du groupe Boisset, depuis 2003. "Nous souhaitons pérenniser le travail accompli par Pascal Marchand, notamment la poursuite de la viticulture biodynamique", affirme Pierre Vincent."

Thanks for the kind words.

There is Pinot Blanc and maybe a little touch of Pinot Gris as well. The Pinot Blanc is pretty obvious when one tastes the wine IMO. According to the domaine, this vineyard has been planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc for centuries.

Forumites, you saw it here first!! Over on the other place, there is a discussion going on about the sister wine to the Prieure. What a coincidence eh.