Vougeot

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The escarpment face of the Côte at Vougeot, with a drop of approximately 150 metres, is composed of Bajocian and Bathonian limestones capped by the particularly compact Comblanchien limestone.
• A downfaulted block linked to faults running parallel to the relief brings the Comblanchien limestone to the surface at the foot of the slope, where it was formerly quarried in the medieval period by the monks of Cîteaux.
• The soils are weakly developed, generally calcareous and stony, thin and free-draining over the limestone bedrock, while they are more clayey and relatively deep on the piedmont.
• The delimited parcels are situated at the foot of the escarpment, on the piedmont, at an altitude of between 240 and 265 metres, bordered to the north by the source of the Vouge, a major resurgence spring.
• The cool oceanic climate features moderate and regular rainfall of approximately 750 millimetres per year and a mean annual temperature of 10.5°C, with no pronounced summer drought.
• The Côte benefits from a climatic shelter that provides a thermal advantage as well as a notably lower rainfall than the surrounding region, lying to the east of the Morvan massif and the plateaux of Burgundy.
• The rectilinear tectonic relief of the Côte de Nuits extends for approximately 25 kilometres in a broadly north–south direction, separating the calcareous plateaux of the Hautes Côtes from the Bresse plain.

• The vineyard is linked to the abbey of Cîteaux, whose monks acquired parcels shortly after 1098, forming a landed estate enclosed within a continuous wall from the thirteenth century onwards — the present-day Clos de Vougeot.
• The appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Vougeot' was recognised by a decree of 11 September 1936, and a list of climats eligible for the mention 'premier cru' was established in 1943.
• The grape variety plantings are dominated by Pinot noir and Chardonnay, and the great majority of white wine volume comes from the climat Le Clos Blanc, classified as a premier cru.
• The vines are trained according to the practices of the Côte de Nuits, with planting densities in excess of 9,000 vines per hectare.

• The red wines display a deep, sustained ruby colour, with a tannic structure that is often powerful yet velvety.
• The aromatic profile of the red wines recalls small red fruits mingled with notes of undergrowth or violet, while the white wines are supple and well balanced.

• The heavily fractured limestone bedrock plays a fundamental role in water regulation, draining excess water and mitigating drought stress through capillary rise.
• The gravelly, clayey soils, rich in iron oxides, provide a measured fertility and water reserve well suited to achieving good concentration of sugars and aromatic precursors.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Vougeot premier cru AOC (PDO)
• Vougeot premier cru Clos de la Perrière AOC (PDO)
• Vougeot premier cru Le Clos Blanc AOC (PDO)
• Vougeot premier cru Les Crâs AOC (PDO)
• Vougeot premier cru Les Petits Vougeots AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF)
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — BIVB