With close to 800 years of history, one of wine’s most stunning panoramas, and a magnificent château overlooking it all, Clos de Vougeot perhaps best exemplifies why the vineyards of Burgundy were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The site was first cultivated by Cistercian Monks in the 12th century and remained under their ownership until the French Revolution. Its château was built in 1551 and has been the headquarters of Burgundy’s famous Bacchanalian fraternity, the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, since the end of World War II. Because of its exceptionally large size (it covers some 80 hectares) and diversity of ownership, there are wide variations in the quality of wines labeled “Clos de Vougeot.” With Drouhin-Laroze, however, you’re zeroing in on some of the choicest “mid-slope” parcels in the entire vineyard: “Plante l’A Abbé” and “Quartier de Marei Haut,” two sites of ideal aspect in a section dubbed “des Papes,” which was once reserved for the Popes of Avignon.

Drouhin-Laroze, meanwhile, has significant history of its own. Jean-Baptist Laroze first worked the soils of Gevrey-Chambertin back in 1850. His granddaughter, Suzanne Laroze, married Alexandre Drouhin, which joined her Gevrey holdings with his Chambolle-Musigny vineyards and the Domaine Drouhin-Laroze name was born. Today, the family Domaine is run by sixth-generation Philippe and Christine Drouhin, who have drastically reduced yields and have worked to craft wine in pristine conditions with traditional practices. After a manual harvest, the wine is fermented then aged in 80% new French oak for 18 months. Each wine is a stunning, individual expression of vintage and terroir that is built to last. 

Drouhin-Laroze’s 2014 Clos de Vougeot epitomizes everything we love about this vintage: It is a beautifully balanced wine structured for long-haul aging, and yet I’d be happy to drink a bottle now, too. It’s got all the hallmarks of real-deal Grand Cru red Burgundy: layered texture, beguiling aromatics, saturated fruit. In the glass, it’s a deep, reflective garnet red extending to the rim, with aromas of black and red cherry, crushed wild berries, underbrush, black tea, warm spices, and crushed stone. Medium-plus in body, its woodsy flavors follow through on the palate and through the long, aromatic finish. Obviously, this needs about an hour in a decanter if you’re opening one now, but be sure to lay some of this wine down. I think it’ll see its peak drinking years between 2022-25, and continue to evolve well beyond that; such is the appeal of 2014, especially at the Grand Cru level. Serve this in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees paired with game or maybe even Thanksgiving turkey (if you’re feeling magnanimous). This is an electrifying bottle of red Burgundy: Only the price is modest!