Tasting of the 2021 Vintage at Domain Bruno Clavelier

Bruno Clavelier was kind enough to show his entire range to a motley crew of Italian, Cambodian, French, and American (us) visitors. I wish I were able to capture all the geographic and geologic wisdom he imparted about the various cuvées and sites, but it was all I could do to frantically scribble some notes about the wines on my phone! One easily understood message is that the yields were low once again, and the quantity of wine is small. Some good news is that 2022 yielded healthy grapes and the first normal sized harvest in some time. All of these wines are scheduled to be bottled in the next few weeks.

• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Bourgogne-Aligoté Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté

  Barrel sample. I hope I am noting the wine correctly since M. Clavelier described it as a Vin de France and a blend of Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. Herb and pineapple aromas. High acidity kicks in after the fleshy attack. Tingly feel-in need of racking?

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Bourgogne Passetoutgrains Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains

  Barrel sample. Light color. Trace of carbonic scents? Light, tart red cherry followed by a good dose of earth. Like a lighter Beaujolais cru. Fresh and weightless but too tart for me.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Bourgogne Champs D'Argent Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Barrel sample. Light red. Stemmy. Bright light earthy red fruit that is less tart than the Passetoutgrains, but it still comes across as insubstantial and too light.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée La Combe Brûlée Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  Barrel sample. Red. Warm blueberry aromas. Medium weight, excellent salinity and acidity, more texture than the early wines, but the fruit seems right on the edge of ripeness. Tannic finish, slight tartness.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes-Maizières Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  Barrel sample. Deeper color. Very pretty floral and red berry scents. Bright strawberry and cherry fruit, nice clay base, acidity less strident but still high. Lower tannins than the prior lieu dit, relatively supple, pretty in the house style.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée La Montagne Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  Barrel sample. Light red. Citrus and red berry. Light to medium weight with light sap. Full of citrus and bright red fruit, but again some tartness creeps in, and I don’t find it as balanced or easy to appreciate as the Hautes Maizières.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. All soil on the nose. Softer red fruit and clay. Delicate, elegant, and long with less shrill acidity and low tannins until a kick at the end. Those should be silky over time.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. Light ruby. Citrus and spice aromas. Medium weight, slightly chocolaty feel. Fairly deep mixed blue and black fruit. Fine grained soil and tannins, well integrated acidity. Some youthful austerity. This will be a beauty. Nothing off vintage about it and the first wine in the range to cause me real excitement.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. Light ruby. Blackberry and spice. Nice citricity, higher acid, impressive soil and salinity run through it. This is more tannic, sterner, and more backward than the Brulées. This will require the proper 10 to 12 years in the cellar. Like a mini-Richebourg.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Noirots Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. Light ruby. Floral, menthol nose. Lovely medium weight citrus, blueberry, and soil. Gentle tannins, good salinity, and the slightly brambly acidity of the vintage. The most fragrant wine thus far and appealing subtle sweetness of fruit.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d'Orveau Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. Light ruby. High toned wintergreen and soil. Light, spicy, and pliant with both red and blue fruit, citrus, soil, and moderate acidity. This has the most tannic finish in the range, but I thought the overall balance was outstanding. Beautiful, terrific potential.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Barrel sample. Ruby. Soil-filled aromas. Fairly ripe red berry, earth, and fine acidity with a moderately tannic finish.

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• 2021 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Corton-Rognet Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Barrel sample. Lighter red. Peppery on the nose. Medium weight. Sappy fruit with some citrus bolstered by high acidity and gripping tannins. Properly austere for Corton. Should be elegant, earthy wine but not clearly better than the top Premier Crus.

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A few closing thoughts. Nobody would confuse these 2021’s with wines from the 3 preceding vintages. At the top end (which here I think lies in several of the Premier Crus rather than in the one Côte de Beaune Grand Cru holding) the wines are medium weight, fresh, pretty, and probably not for extended aging. If one has a choice, it probably would make most sense to concentrate on the Premier Cru wines if you can find them, but not everything is a slam dunk success even at this level, with the vintage’s variability on full display. Some of the lower end wines are too shrill, tart, or on the thin side. Bruno Clavelier is totally dedicated to allowing his terroirs to speak, and both times I’ve tasted here, it’s been a pleasure to try wines where the words “wood” or “oak” hardly ever make their way into the tasting notes.