The History Clos de Tart is a rare gem: a Côte d Or grand cru that has remained intact and safeguarded by only three proprietors since its creation in 1141. Cistercian nuns from the Order of Cîteaux, known as the Bernardines de Tart, were the first to purchase the site in the mid-12th century. They soon began to assemble the clos, or surrounding wall, around the vineyard, known as Climat de la Forge, just behind the property s agricultural buildings. The estate was then rechristened Clos de Tart. After centuries under ecclesiastical stewardship, Clos de Tart was acquired by the Marey-Monge family in 1789 at the time of the French Revolution. It remained under ownership of the famed family until 1932 when the Mommessins finally purchased Clos de Tart at an auction. The Mommessin family continues to preserve the domaine s storied legacy.
The Vineyard Superbly situated in Morey-Saint-Denis just above the southern edge of the village between the grands crus of Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south Clos de Tart is 7.53 hectares (18.6 acres) in size, making it the largest grand cru monopole in Burgundy. Despite its tiny scale (one-tenth the average size of a first growth château in Bordeaux), Clos de Tart encompasses many different soil profiles within its four walls, all very rich in limestone and clay. Small fossils are dominant in the lower reaches of the vineyard, while mid-slope soil includes a local limestone called calcaire de Prémeaux, as well as tiny fossilized oysters. The highly regarded limestone marls of the area called calcaires marneux, and more fossilized oysters are found in the highest reaches of the slope. The oldest planted parcel dates back to 1918, though the average vine age is 60 years. With its own clonal nursery, Clos de Tart employs massal selection to protect its provenance during regular replanting of the old vines. The vineyard holds the rare distinction of being planted north to south, perpendicular to the slope, a planting method found in roughly 1 percent of vineyards in Burgundy, but critical to combat erosion and provide optimum sun exposure. Viticultural philosophy is essentially organic unless encroaching ailments leave no other option.
The Wine At the winery, harvested grapes are hand sorted by a skilled team before perfect bunches are selected. Grapes are vinified as six separate cuvées due to distinct soil types. The vast majority of grapes are destemmed and undergo a traditional vinification with indigenous yeasts. Bi-level cellars, dug into the rock by villagers in 1850, provide ideal conditions for élevage. Each cuvée matures in new oak barrels, primarily from France s Tronçais forest, for approximately 18 months. The six cuvées are blended before bottling to create the singular wine, Clos de Tart Grand Cru, which is never filtered though occasionally fined. It is bottled by hand, bottle by bottle, in the lower cellar. Each bottle carries a proprietary imprint to ensure provenance and enable traceability. In some vintages, a portion of the wine, primarily from the younger vines (25 years), may be declassified and bottled as La Forge de Tart Premier Cru, ensuring that only the best of the best is bottled as Clos de Tart Grand Cru.
The Winery In addition to the historic vineyard and its wall the latter of which was painstakingly rebuilt from 2005 to 2009 the domaine is comprised of buildings dating back to the 12th and 16th centuries. The oldest building was built on a 12th-century foundation. The Vierge de Tart, the 14th-century statuette of the Virgin Mary which graces the Clos de Tart crest, is preserved inside the original winery. Dating back to the 16th century, the winery displays an old wheel press, operational from 1570 to 1924 and one of the few of its kind in existence.
The General Director Since 1995, Sylvain Pitiot has led the preservation of Clos de Tart, as well as a renaissance of its vines and vinification. As Pitiot gained intimate knowledge of each parcel row by row, he began experimenting in the precious vineyard and at the winery. Pitiot s philosophy is grounded in uncompromising attention to the vines, which respects terroir and affords a more hands-off approach in the cellars. Through his vineyard practices, experiments and technological investments, Pitiot has moved the Clos de Tart style toward greater ripeness and more intensity, framed by elegance and terroir expression. Prior to joining Clos de Tart, Pitiot spent 12 years as winemaker at Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, a viticulturist in Aloxe-Corton and technical advisor to many domaines. Pitiot enjoyed a burgeoning career as a topographical engineer before working a Meursault harvest in 1972 and falling in love with his now-wife, Valérie, daughter of the accomplished French wine writer Pierre Poupon. He then decided to dedicate his life to vineyards and winemaking. To share his knowledge and passion, Pitiot has, with the assistance of Pierre Poupon, published Atlas des Grands Vignobles de Bourgogne, and geographical vineyard maps of the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits for Art et Cartographie. Pitiot also co-authored the internationally recognized Les Vins de Bourgogne with Jean-Charles Servant, director of l Ecole des Vins du Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne, which has been published in 32 editions spanning five languages. He also teaches courses about Burgundy wines and international wine geography at the local viticulture school s adult learning center, Centre de Formation Professionnelle pour Adultes de Beaune.
Clos de Tart is a rare gem: a Côte d Or grand cru that has remained intact since its creation in 1141. Cistercian nuns known as the Bernardines de Tart were the first to purchase the site in the mid-12th century. They soon began to assemble the clos, or surrounding wall, around the vineyard, known as Climat de la Forge. After centuries under ecclesiastical stewardship, Clos de Tart was acquired by the Marey-Monge family in 1789. It remained under ownership of the family until 1932 when the Mommessins purchased Clos de Tart at an auction. Located in Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte de Nuits, Clos du Tart is 7.53 hectares (18.6 acres) in size, making it the largest grand cru monopole in Burgundy. The oldest planted parcels date back to 1918, though the average vine age is 60 years. N En la Rue de Vergy 0.062 hectare (0.1532 acre) 300 (984 feet) 0.0546 hectare (0.1349 acre) 0.6048 hectare (1.494 acres) 295 (968 feet) 290 (951 feet) 0.8894 hectare (2.198 acres) 0.711 hectare (1.757 acres) Rue de Vergy Les Bonnes Mares 0.3003 hectare (0.7421 acre) 0.1574 hectare (0.3889 acre) 285 (935 feet) 280 (919 feet) 0.4418 hectare (1.111 acres) 0.331 hectare (0.8179 acre) Clos des Lambrays 0.5102 hectare (1.261 acres) 0.9618 hectare (2.377 acres) 0.7629 hectare (1.885 acres) 275 (902 feet) Chambolle-Musigny 0.3202 hectare (0.7912 acre) 0.28 hectare (0.6919 acres) 270 (886 feet) Route des Grands Crus 0.3169 hectare (0.7831 acre) Route des Grands Crus Gevrey-Chambertin Les Ruchots VILLAGE Carbonated soil (5.44 hectares/13.44 acres) Decarbonated soil (0.96 hectare/2.37 acres) Marl (1.13 hectares/2.79 acres) Wall Old vines Young vines 280 Elevation (meters) SLOPE PROFILE Path Elevation 302 meters (991 feet) Route des Grands Cru 10 meters Elevation 269 meters (883 feet) 100 meters (328 feet)