Domaine Leroy   Clos de Vougeot

2007 Clos de Vougeot

By Domaine Leroy

2007 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy, France

The 2007 vintage in Burgundy remains one of the most intriguing expressions of Pinot Noir from this lauded region. An examination of the 2007 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy offers insight into a year where the interplay of climatic challenges and winemaking mastery coalesced to create wines with unique charm and distinct character.

 

An Exceptional Vintage with a Unique Narrative

Certainly, the narrative of 2007 is one where weather patterns were remarkably capricious, leading to a harvest that was both early and anxiety-inducing. However, experienced vignerons like those at Domaine Leroy navigated these conditions with dexterous precision. The result in the glass is reflective of an intimate understanding of terroir and grape, culminating in a wine that astounds with its delicate equilibrium.

 

Investment-worthy Sophistication in Every Sip

The 2007 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy unfolds in layers; an olfactory tapestry woven with red fruits entwined with earthier underbrush notes. The texture on the palate belies the initial subtlety—a testament to the vintage's defined structure and vivacity. Tannins are present but resolved, suggesting a pinnacle of drinking potential yet yielding fruitful investment projections for those with patience.

A wine of this caliber garners attention not solely for immediate pleasure but as a collectible asset within a diverse portfolio. In times where secure investments carry weight, this 2007 vintage marries collectability with an assured drinking window.

The individuality of 2007 shines through this offering from Domaine Leroy, commanding consideration from both connoisseurs and investors alike. While some vintages broadcast their virtues loudly, others, such as 2007, invite a closer conversation—one that is deeply poignant and richly rewarding. The 2007 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy is undeniably a remarkable protagonist in this discourse.

In summary, the 2007 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy is a specimen showcasing how Burgundy can overcome climatic adversities to produce something that not only delights but promises an advantageous narrative for fine wine investors seeking out singular vintages with remarkable tales.

Current market price

£37,800.00

12x75cl

Highest score

95

POP score

2520

Scores and tasting notes

95

Bize-Leroy’s 2007 Clos Vougeot issues from three parcels at different elevations of the clos, and the belief (in which she is hardly alone) that such a range of parcels better expresses the essence of this cru is lent credibility in the glass. Ripe plum, cherry and their pits; roasted meats; salt and crushed stone are all prominent in a Pinot of formidable aromatic and gustatory intensity; abundant but refined tannin; and a reverberative finish that rings changes on your palate. The depth of rich meatiness; succulence of dark fruits; and formidable minerality are difficult to break down into further descriptive details, but taking a sip of this is like turning your palate and imagination over to auto-pilot, and if you cellar some, I suspect it will still be capable of holding you hostage and challenging the prowess of its 2005 counterpart two decades from now. The results Lalou Bize-Leroy achieved in 2006 – as I wrote in my previous red Burgundy report – were especially notable considering the misgivings she expressed early on about that vintage. She appeared more enthusiastic early on about 2007, but in this instance it’s far from merely notable – frankly, it’s utterly improbable – the richness and complexity that the Leroy team has achieved, especially considering that harvesting began here already on August 27! This collection is quite distinctive even from the very few others of its vintage that come even remotely close in quality. These 2007s display a sense of effortless effusiveness, primary juiciness, and – I don’t know how to put this less nebulously – elegance and in the best instances transparency, contrasting with the impressions of tumescent ripeness, coagulation, and new wood veneer that in some vintages accompany the profound richness of Leroy reds. As usual, the wines were all bottled in December, which at least in this vintage seems less difficult to reconcile with their exceptional quality than it does in vintages like 2005 or 2008, when so many of the other top practitioners of red Burgundy emphasize the need for longer elevage. Extremely low yields are of course also a common denominator among Bize-Leroy’s collections, although in the challenging 2007 vintage, she had somewhat more company than usual among fellow-vignerons in the roughly 20 hectoliter-per-hectare range. (And that was bounteous compared with the 13 hectoliters per hectare Bize-Leroy reports having managed in 2008, a vintage from which she did not want to show her bottled wines until June of this year, so that I shall publish notes on them in my follow-up to the present report.) Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010

Vintage performance