2005 - Clos de Tart Grand Cru, Mommessin

The 2005 Clos de Tart Grand Cru, tasted from magnum (for some reason, it always seems to turn up in this format), is one of Sylvain Pitiot’s greatest successes. It was picked September 21 to September 24 (at 11am, to be exact). The yield was 27hl/ha with 14° alcohol. The precocity of the growing season seems to suit Pitiot’s winemaking style. Iridescent in color, the 2005 has a majestic, pure bouquet featuring layers of pulsating red berry fruit, wild strawberry and raspberry scents and an underlying mineralité that I suspect requires another decade to really surface above the fruit. The palate is extremely well balanced, with fine tannin, and beautifully poised, that crescendo still in place. This grand cru fans out with a sense of confidence, almost hubris, on the long finish. A towering achievement. Tasted at a private dinner in Beaune.