French wine tastes better in a château. Sure, I’m being glib, but you try not to feel the gravitas when you’re lining up for a tasting of storied Pinot Noir inside the 12th-century walls of Burgundy’s Château du Clos de Vougeot.
And day 2 of the just-completed 2026 Grand Jours de Bourgogne started with the big guns, kicking off with an all-too-brief dive into the heroes of Vosne, featuring storied Burgundian appellations like Clos de Vogueot, Vosne-Romanée, Echézeaux, Richebourg, etc.
We’re playing in the very deepest end of Pinot to start the day…
Honestly, this was the most Hunger-Games-esque tasting I experienced during a whole week at the Grand Jours, with literally a thousand people all squeezed into the back end of the château jostling to try wines that are not only unobtainable in quantity, but often thousand-euro unobtainable in price. What made it even more coveted was that you often had winemakers and even owners behind the barrels pouring wines too – an access that feels almost mythical in a region notoriously hard to visit as a wine tourist.
It wasn’t lost on me. I walked in the door knowing I had just one hour to go hard. The jacket stayed on (luckily, as my photos show, it was freezing), and the elbows came out.
Why just an hour, for a tasting that goes all day? Well, day 2 wasn’t just Vosne-y. There was also another Gevrey-Chambertin event (with 84 producers) at a second location to get around, plus a curiously less glamorous, though definitely interesting, Nuits-Saint-Georges walk around (also with 77 producers) to boot. The heat was on just to get to all three locations.
To muddy things even more, the other attention-seeking option on this day took place upstairs in a venerable drawing room of the château, with a hushed, press-only horizontal of 2016-vintage Clos de Vougeot wines, just to bring an aged-wine perspective. Fun? Nah, this felt like a wine tasting obstacle course, where you try and get any sort of insight into some of the world’s most famous wines while your guide sits outside with a stopwatch in hand.
Don’t worry, folks, I gave it a red-hot go. Below you’ll see a small collection of Pinot Noir (this day is almost exclusively red as a guide) that spans some absolute epicness, punctuated by the best wines I’ve had this year… and a few with grand reputations that missed the mark.
The elephant in the crowded room was the 2024 vintage. As I discussed in the Chablis-aganza that was Day 1 of the 2026 Grand Jours de Bourgogne, 2024 was anything but an easy harvest in the Côte de Nuits parts. While the tricky harvest delivered almost no wine (yet plenty of white-wine vitality) further north, I saw it here as a trip hazard, even in the manicured plots of the most expensive vineyard land in the world. The best wines are beautiful, high-toned, elegant, ethereal, with acidity and old-school grace that befit an extra-wet and tricky harvest. Yet for every pretty ’24 there was something lean, short and sometimes dour. The variation went from plot to plot, let alone the usual producer to producer. As one winemaker explained to me, this was a vintage where a careful touch was required with extraction, oak and whole-bunch use. Plunging and lots of pumpovers were out, chaptilisation and foot trodding were in. Yields were tiny, too, which meant oak and ferments had to be very carefully managed (to counter half-full tanks/barrels). It’s wine geek dream stuff, really! For all that, as you’ll see below, there were very few wines that were obviously bad, but next to the flattering grandeur of many 2023 wines in the same room, ’24s often felt like skinny younger brothers with inferiority complexes.
All I can add is to apologise that I couldn’t cover even more of the fabulous wines in the room. It grates a little too, as the silken wines from Vosne and surrounds remain my favourite stylistic expression on the Côte de Nuits – I would have liked to taste everything and linger.
Finally, a caveat about scoring – don’t compare the numbers below with any but other Burgundian Pinot. Context is king, and these tasting notes are sadly short. Extra notes are in italics, and a note that some of these wines were not labelled (ferments took extra long in 2024 as well), so treat that as you may. Let’s have a squizz:
Domaine Anne Gros Échezaux Cuvée des Loachausses Grand Cru 2024
I really struggled with all these ’24 Anne Gros wines. They’re pretty, delicate, and plenty classy, but not Grand Cru persistence. I’d wager these haven’t been in bottle long either.
A subtle wine of spice and a slight up and down personality. Black spice. Lifted red fruit. A little confected fruit. Has just enough fruit to not be mean and unquestioned delicacy and class, but feels a bit lean and hardly classical. 17.7/20, 92/100+.
Domaine Anne Gros Grands-Échezaux Grand Cru 2024
Shy. A little confected red fruit. Another pretty wine, though – this is much more representative of a pretty grand plot, even if it falls away a little into tannins rather than feeling complete. This has more power than the Échezaux through the back. It’s not open for anything – a little arms and legs. High class though. The most convincing wine of this Anne Gros lineup. 18/20, 93/100+.
Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg Grand Cru 2024
I was really puzzled by this. It just felt so underdone in this company. Would be a fascinating retaste for what is a heralded wine.
More black cherry fruit here, though it falls away quickly. A fine and delicate pretty wine, but gee, it’s hardly Grand Cru depths. Moody, a bit skittish, delicate, though. 17.7/20, 92/100+.
Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Cuvée Le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru 2024
Another very pretty wine struggling for body. Probably the lesser of the four, but it’s very fresh and pretty. Noticeably tart. 17.7/20, 92/100+.
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes 2024
One of the few ripe and convincing non-Grand Cru ’24s in this room. Quite complete. Extractive and pithy tannins. Rather firm but sexy too. This has the depth missing in other equivalent wines. Great texture. Delicious. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru 2024
This is even better. Perfectly formed tannins. Not a lean wine – it’s so dark and tannin-framed. Excellent power and has enough fruit to carry it off. How did this happen? It’s fantastic. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Échezaux Grand Cru 2023
Sublime. A compact wine that spreads out with its tannic intensity. Dark fruits, dipping into dark cherry depths. Exceptionally long and tannic, it feels like a perfect expression of a dark-fruit Burgundy. Almost Shiraz-like but ethereal in its silken power. Wow. I might even be underrating it. Superstar. 19/20, 96/100.
Domaine d’Eugénie Vosne-Romanée Clos d’Eugénie 2023
What a beautiful, and incredibly easy-to-drink wine. Modern and very flattering. A little oak-shaped, sure, but lovely powdery tannins. Really sexy stuff. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine d’Eugénie Vosne-Romanée Aux Brûlées 1er Cru 2023
Even more gloss. Sexy raspberried thing. Perhaps a little oaky and stalky. Complex though. Such a serious wine, if less gloss after the Clos d’Eugénie. Will only get better, too. 18.5/20, 94/100+.
Domaine d’Eugénie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
Another incredibly sexy wine. Red limpid raspberry meets stalky spice. The palate is perfectly formed and so pretty, with tannins adding some darkness. Absolutely fantastic stuff and again plenty of upside. 18.7/20, 95/100+.
Domaine Faiveley Échezaux Grand Cru en Orveaux 2024
Very light raspberry red. Moody and a little flash of mulch. The tannic finesse is very classy, but the tannins might take over – that leafy, delicate fruit might not be up for it. Pretty though. 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Faiveley Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
A mid-palate wine that feels transitional and still unfurling. Not insignificant but unready. That mid-palate feels top draw, even if it’s less flashy. High quality. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 2023
Vivid red fruits. A little warmth, but a wine that feels bright and joyous. Lovely drink, if a little less serious. 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru 2023
Lovely evocative red fruit. Really generous and open. Light tannins, though. Warmth and expanse. Not super long, but lush and delicious. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
Extra muscular and lavish. What a sexy wine. A little hint of animal meatiness of a warm year. Silken finish. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2024
FYI, I had a minus next to the score here…
A little VA, which is interesting. Not an obvious wine at all. Great colour, but hardly open or generous. Just a little diffuse, but also pretty and crunchy. A pretty wine, but not a patch on the 2023. 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 2023
Interestingly, while these are all 2023 Méo-Camuzets, the estate was ‘only’ 40% down in 2024.
A glossy red fruited wine with a flash of chocolate oak and a little warmth. Such expanse. A little short but lush. Another great ad for village level 2023 Vosne-Romanée! 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru 2023
Such gloss. Roud and lush raspberry with darker fruit, this has expanse too. Hard not to like. Fine tannins. Just lovely. A little dried fruit to finish? Lovely. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
Really flattering. Sexy oak, a bit of chocolate and raspberry, the very epitome of Clos de Vougeot. Glossy and open. A drink-me-now wine of such obvious appeal. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2021
Slightly four square, the flavours ripe, if a little soupy. Forward, open and ready to go, if pretty chunky. Not my fave Clos de Vougeot expression – it’s powerful bit blocky and creaky. 17.5/20, 91/100.
Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
Ripe, a little warm dip through the middle, but otherwise so round and lush. Has some oak tannins shaping. the finish. Can’t shake the thick feel, but this has lots of upside. 18/20, 93/100+.
Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru 2023
I couldn’t get past a bit of VA (volatile acidity – a fault) here. Likely worth a retaste from another bottle.
More gloss, more flashiness, plenty of power, but an inelegant feel. Will only get better though. I prefer. the ‘standard’ wine. 17.7/20, 92/100+.
Clos de Vougeot 2016 tasting
What a pleasure to try a horizontal like this. Fascinating variation between house styles, too.
Domaine Gérard Raphet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
VA and fallen leaves. Autumnal and a little furry. Has presence, but it is a rather secondary thing. Others loved this developed mode more, while I just saw a sense of decline. 17.5/20, 91/100.
Domaine Gros Frère Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
VA and a little mushroom with dill. Can’t shake the VA. Finessed tannins. It’s still plenty primary but hobbled. 16.8/20, 89/100.
Domaine Jacques Prieur Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Old leather and lots of tannin. An old-fashioned sort of wine, but genteel. Tannins are what hold it together, really. Quite enjoyable in a furry and hearty way! 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Best so far. So primary. A bold sort of ripe and round middle, and then grand tannins. A lovely expression that feels fresh and silken. and just delicious. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine Annette & Bernard Rion Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Glossy, a little confected raspberry tinged with mulch. Interesting confection. Has a little lumpiness but is a lush thing overall, which makes it plenty appealing. 18/20, 93/100.
Domaine Faiveley Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Wowsers. This is a pick! So fresh. Clean, lively, it has this pure raspberry character that lifts it above the rest. Medium-bodied, silken, delightful. Is it too primary? Don’t care when it’s this drinkable. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine Jean Marc Guyon Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
A very different expression. Dried beef and a little horse. That mushroomy decay has savoury appeal, and it’s quite tannic still. Charming, but not exactly an easy wine. 17.5/20, 91/100.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
One of the wines of the bracket. Spills into dark cherry – a dark wine. It smells fantastic – a pure sort of raspberry perfume. A little VA lift? Powdery tannins. What a lovely, slinky, and sensual wine. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Autumnal. The fruit is tipping into decay, as the tannic chunkiness takes over. Still plenty classy but has seen better days. 17.7/20, 92/100.
Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Baked earth. A little meaty mushroom mongrel in there. Has a real mushroom earth thing going on, but definitely declining. 17.5/20, 91/100.
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
From magnum. I thought the wines served from big bottles in this lineup looked better. Buy more magnums!
Fantastic. Arguably, the wine of the tasting. A more mature expression that feels very earthy and very tannic. But hot damn, it is very long, with this chewy mushroom broth contrasted to the red fruit. Magnificent structure. Grandiose. A formidable Clos de Vougeot. I might even be underrating it. 18.7/20, 95/100.
Domaine R. Dubois et Fils Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
From magnum.
Another brilliant wine from magnum. This is grippy and powerful stuff. Extra mature and leaning towards that earthy sense of an older wine. There’s still enough dark red to carry this off wonderfully, though drink up. 18.5/20, 94/100.
Domaine Michel Noëllat Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
From magnum.
Fully mature and losing its fruit pretty fast. This felt more rustic than alive. Interesting, but needs to be drunk. 17.5/20, 91/100.
Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 1993
Not 2016 and threatened to upstage everything! What a wine. Such pleasure.
In rude health. A creep of dried leaf decay, but so much pepper-soaked raspberry fruit. That slight bitter mulchy secondary character punctuates the finish. But still so much black earth etched red fruit. Wow. A magnificent old Burgundy and very drinkable. Charisma 110%. 18.7/20, 95/100.
(I travelled to France as a guest of the Bourgogne Wine Board)
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