The vine

• Plot /climat

  Clos des Mouches (total surface area: 25ha 18a).

• History

  This mid-slope climat is exposed to the sun throughout the day. In the past, it was more populated with flowers and bushes than vines. Bees particularly loved this area. In medieval French, "mouches" actually referred to bees ("abeilles" in French). Should this wine be called "Clos des Abeilles"? Maurice Drouhin, in the post-war period, created a vast vineyard on the Clos des Mouches for his eponymous wine house and played a major role in the fame of this climat.

• Soil

  The soil pit we dug during the replanting in 2023 revealed that there was once an old quarry here. The stones from this quarry were used to build Beaune. The clay-limestone soil remains very stony.

• Our plot(s)

  Surface area: 58 ares. Located between 250 and 300 meters. South / south-east exposure, at the foot of the Montagne de Saint Désiré, on the edge of the Pommard Premier Cru vineyards. The slope ranges from 5% to 15%.

• Age of vines

  • Planting date Surface
  • 1958 28.30a
  • 1968 15.03a
  • 1986 30.05a

The wine

• Description

  100% Pinot Noir from handpicked grapes; raised in oak casks.

• Taste

  Among the three Beaune Premier Crus produced by the estate, Clos des Mouches is the most profound. Ripe red fruits, black fruits, and liquorice blend with subtle toasted notes. The mouth shows character from the attack through to the finish, with powerful tannins and a dense aromatic profile. This wine has excellent aging potential, developing notes of dried fruits and leather over time.

• Serving temperature

  15/16°C. It is recommended to decant recent vintages so as to enhance the aroma.

The vintage

• 2022: a year of relief for winemakers. The first buds came out earlier in March due to the mild weather, and thankfully the spring frost from April 9 and 10 did not cause any damage to the buds. Spring was hot and dry, making 2022 wines what we would call a premature vintage. By the end of June, the lack of rain started to be a concern. This was shortly followed by heavy rain showers, which despite some localised hail, generated just about enough water for the rest of the summer. The heatwave put the vines under strain but the drought was less damaging than in 2020, which allowed us to harvest grapes in perfect condition. Sunshine also comes through the 2022 red vintage, with more delicate flavours than the 2020 Pinot noirs. The wines were made with little wilting on the grapes and an optimal phenolic maturation process. The phenolic composites and aromas are subtle and delicate, nurturing elegant red wines.