Bruno Clair hails from a line of distinguished vignerons whose family history could easily encapsulate the complexity of a Russian novel. Following World War I, Joseph Clair fell in love with Marguerite Daü who was heir to an estate in Marsannay. Together they brought the Domaine Clair-Daü name world-wide fame and established a domaine that would rival many of the greatest in Burgundy. After years of tumultuous family squabbles, Joseph’s grandson, Bruno Clair, had acquired some of the greatest sites in Burgundy when he reclaimed what was left of his family’s estate in the mid-80’s. Today, Bruno is at the helm of 24 hectares across the Côte d’Or where he farms his vines entirely without chemical fertilizers. He composts and plows the soils, maintains low yields and seemingly knows the health of each and every vine on his estate. The hand-harvested fruit is meticulously sorted then partially destemmed, depending on the requirements of the vintage as well as the individual site. In the cellar Bruno, along with Phillippe Brun, craft wines traditionally with the ultimate respect for vintage and site. Fermentation takes place in open-top wooden vats and is achieved through only natural yeasts. Wine is punched down with a thoughtful hand over a 14 to 21-day cuvaison. The wine is then transferred to oak where is undergoes malolactic fermentation in the spring. The wine is then racked and continues to age sur lie in 20-50% new oak depending on the demands of the individual vintage for roughly 16-22 months. In a world of heavy-handed, modern-styled wines, Bruno Clair’s offerings capture the subtlety, finesse and sense of place that only great Burgundy can achieve. Nevertheless, his wines are not crafted to pop and pour, they are rare snapshots of Burgundy that are meant to be aged and pondered on the most special of occasions.
Bruno Clair’s Savigny-lès-Beaune procduced from Premier Cru, ‘La Dominode,’ is an unrivaled vineyard in the appellation whose vines date back to 1902. With low yields, ideal eastern exposure and a mix of clay and stony soils, this old vines deliver Pinot Noir more akin to the elegance and silkiness of Vosne Romanée than anywhere in Côte de Beaune. According to Bruno, “I have been vinifying la Dominode since 1979 and it has undoubtedly the most consistent vines of the domaine - always low yields and beautiful maturity of the grapes. The quality and the age of the vines contribute to this consistency.” In short, this is one of the most remarkable expressions of of this part of Burgundy you will ever experience. With a layered nose of harmonious, complex fruit, earth and spice, the elegant medium-bodied palate unfolds to reveal rich, plush flavors of cherry, plum and wild berries, perfectly integrated, structured tannins and is uplifted by ample freshness, distinct minerality and savory complexity that seems to linger on the palate (and your emotions) for hours. Nothing like the rustic examples one can often expect from the appellation, this atypical wine is one of finesse and silken perfection that will only evolve to greater heights in the next 3-10 years.
Bruno Clair’s Vosne-Romanée “Les Champs Perdix” is one of the greatest lieux-dit in a village that is famed for its unparalleled finesse. Advantageously perched just five meters from the celebrated La Tâche Grand Cru vineyard, Les Champs Perdix’s high altitude location and stony marl soils are tedious to work but the toil results in vibrant, terroir-driven silken elegance that we all crave in the best of Vosne. The 2013 vintage achieves the perfect tension of high-toned acidity, definitive minerality and fruit with dark plum, cherry and pomegranate over an alluring flavor profile of forest floor, wild herbs, hibiscus, crushed rocks and subtle exotic spice that is wound inside soft tannins and a spun silk mouthfeel. This enchantress will only blossom with age and should be enjoyed between its 6th and 10th birthday.
Bruno Clair is one of only five producers of Gevrey-Chambertin’s famed “Clos Saint-Jacques” vineyard site. Although it is classified as a Premier Cru, the majority of Burgundian aficionados the world over equate the celebrated vineyard to a Grand Cru. When the village of Gevrey-Chambertin was classified in the 1930’s, only vineyards adjacent to Clos Saint-Jacques and Clos de Bèze were granted the Grand Cru designation, which left the standalone Clos Saint-Jacques a Premier Cru. Considered by many to be a gross oversight, this site bears the identical elevation of Le Chambertin as well as its white marl soil composition. However, Clos Saint-Jacques lies on a steeper incline and allows grapes even longer hang time, which results in a slightly more high-toned expression, dizzying elegance and terroir more than worthy of Grand Cru status. Clive Coates has been quoted as saying this vineyard is, “clearly head and shoulders above all other Gevrey Premier Crus;” and in the hands of Bruno Clair, it is an experience any Burgundy lover should not miss. Planted in 1957 and 1972, the mature vines ascend the slope and consequently capture the full spectrum of the treasured vineyard. A bounty of red and black fruit that only great Gevrey can possess, this perfectly balanced beauty reveals complex earth and savory characteristics as well as density and concentration, which is matched with the ideal tension of freshness, firm tannins and minerality. The fruit is simply teeming with life and energy and evolves into notes of black tea, rose petal, forest floor, crushed stones and nuanced exotic spices that finish with a layered flavor profile of simultaneous power and refined finesse. A true beauty that captures the best of Gevrey, this stunning example will reveal one of your greatest treasures after enough dust collects on the bottle.
