2012 Clos Vougeot
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Tasting notes
Good deep red-ruby color. Very ripe aromas of black cherry, spices, chocolate and herbs. Fat, sweet and fine-grained, conveying a liqueur-like ripeness to the flavors of red and darker fruits, herbs and earth. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that will require time to harmonize with the fruit. In contrast to the Pommard Rugiens, this wine seemed more perfumed when I tasted it in November of 2013.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(75% new oak): Bright, dark red-ruby. Reticent aromas of black cherry, violet and licorice, lifted by a spicy note of cardamom. Big, rich and ripe, with excellent mid-palate stuffing leavened by saline minerality and a fresh menthol quality. Still a bit unforthcoming in the mouth but the rising, unflagging finish perfumes the mouth with dark cherry, menthol and violet flavors, and the tannins are extremely fine for Clos Vougeot. This highly concentrated Clos Vougeot really glistens on the aftertaste.
The 2012 Clos Vougeot is classic Boillot. This is one of the more explosive, dark Clos Vougeots readers will come across. Wild flowers, sweet tobacco and violets lead to a core of dark red/blackish fruit in a Burgundy that pulses with incredible energy and vitality. Wonderfully resonant on the palate, the 2012 captures the essence of site and vintage as expressed through the signature richness of Henri Boillot's deeply personal style. This is a fabulous showing.
A restrained, even reticent nose only grudgingly gives up notes of plum, dark currant and plenty of earth character. There is a relatively refined mouth feel to the middle weight flavors as the supporting tannins are unusually fine-grained for the appellation, all wrapped in a supple and delicious finish. This is quite forward for a young Clos de Vougeot and displays almost no youthful austerity. Tasted: Apr 15, 2014. Drink: 2022+
About the producer
Based in Meursault and farming some of the finest vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, Henri Boillot is a leading address in Burgundy. He crafts fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the estate is best known for its flagship monopole vineyard, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Mouchère.