I’ve been waiting three years for this wine. Granted, Vesselle’s ’05 and ’07 “Petit Clos” have kept me happily occupied in the meantime, but they cannot come close to matching the lush, earth-rattling power of today’s 2008, among Champagne’s greatest-ever vintages. The moment this ridiculously small parcel landed, I immediately purchased a bottle for personal consumption and looked at the back label: “240 sur 700.” That’s right, just 700 bottles of Jean Vesselle’s rarest and most beloved cuvée were made for the entire world, about a quarter of that made it stateside, and I consumed #240. As you can see, a tiny portion of Champagne’s cognoscenti will ever set eyes on this ‘08, and only a lucky few will get the pleasure of tasting it so buy first, read later. 

If “Le Petit Clos” means nothing to you, allow me to explain why this is one of the world’s most exclusive Grand Cru “clos” bottlings. There are less than two dozen “clos” vineyards (enclosed by stone walls) in Champagne, which makes them incredibly rare to begin with, but Vesselle’s “Le Petit Clos” in Grand Cru Bouzy makes a strong case for being the rarest. The entire clos sits at .08 hectares so just three barrels of this legendary tête de cuvée can ever be produced—and only during the best years, too. Every treasured Pinot Noir cluster is hand-harvested in baskets, literally walked over to their cellar, and pressed into three Champenois oak barrels. Once it's transferred into bottle, the wine then matures in the dark for a staggering 12 years before disgorgement. Every long-aged, exceedingly limited release always epitomizes the sublime power, vinosity, and purity of Bouzy Pinot Noir, but this 2008? Transcendent. I expect this to disappear within the hour. Complimentary Ground Shipping on two bottles, up to four per person. 

Anyone who loves great Champagne, and Pinot Noir, recognizes Bouzy as ground zero for the region’s most profound expressions of the variety, with a star-bright constellation of producers that includes Pierre Paillard, Benoît Lahaye, Camille Savès, André Clouet, and Paul Bara. The Vesselle surname is attached to several different properties within Bouzy, which can get confusing, but Delphine and David Vesselle have distinguished themselves by producing some of the most unique bottlings of all. The family’s 15 hectares of vineyards are planted to 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, a ratio that mirrors Bouzy as a whole. Across the entire Vesselle lineup, Pinot Noir is the star, made vividly apparent by today’s rarefied, 100% Pinot Noir “Cuvée Le Petit Clos.” 

For Delphine, “Le Petit Clos” is always only a few steps away, as it’s literally adjacent to their courtyard. After a manual harvest, the grapes are pressed into three barrels—new, once-used, and twice-used—from the forests of Champagne. The resulting wine went into bottle sans malolactic fermentation and then aged on lees in their cellar for a dozen years. It was disgorged in late October of 2020 with a dosage of just under four grams.

Vesselle’s latest rendition of “Le Petit Clos'' displays incredible energy with zero hints of fatigue and oxidation. At 13 years old, it’s right in the middle of a marathon, and I do believe this will still be evolving beautifully once it crosses the finish line on its 26th birthday. For this, we can thank the extraordinary growing season of 2008 and the palpable vinous power of Grand Cru Bouzy. For me, this legendary combination of vintage and terroir results in the greatest “Petit Clos” release to date. Its aromatic profile stirs the soul by introducing rich, sublime notes of bruised red and golden apples, quince paste, hazelnut, Bosc pear, and dried red plum alongside damp forest floor, fruitcake, herbs, baking spice, and a hint of smoke. If you enjoy lean, citrus-driven, laser-like bubbles, avoid this at all costs! Vesselle’s 2008 “Le Petit Clos'' is a vinous, rich, and ample Champagne that oozes sublime, full-bodied textures à la mature Grand Cru Burgundy. It’s a deep and profoundly gorgeous Pinot Noir that just so happens to be a sparkling wine. Serve it in all-purpose stems, drink it over several hours, and prepare to soar past cloud nine. Cheers.