Clos Saint-Denis
The Clos Saint-Denis is a Grand Cru classified vineyard on the Côte d'Or in French Burgundy . It is located in the municipality of Morey-Saint-Denis , has an area of 6.62 hectares and its own appellation . Only red wine is produced . The name "Saint-Denis" alludes to Saint Dionysius of Paris .
Location, climate and soil
The Clos Saint-Denis is located on a gently sloping eastern slope at an altitude of 270 to 300 m above sea level . In the north it borders on the Clos de la Roche , to the south it is followed by the Clos des Lambrays . In addition to the historic Clos Saint-Denis (2.14 ha), the appellation also includes the vineyards Maison-Brûlée (1.82 ha), Les Chaffots (1.33 ha) and Calouère (1.30 ha). It consists of 37 parcels that are shared by almost 20 owners. The domains Dujac and Lignier , which are located in Morey-Saint-Denis, have the largest shares, each with 1.49 hectares.
The climate is assigned to the Burgundian transitional climate, in which continental influences predominate over maritime ones. The mostly dry and hot summers allow the Pinot Noir to ripen, but great vintages are only created when there is no rain in autumn to impair the harvest. Due to the pure eastern location, the microclimate is relatively cool, but at the same time protected from late frosts.
The soil of the Clos Saint-Denis consists of brown, calcareous marl with a relatively low proportion (6–12%) of limestone. A special feature of this vineyard is that it still has good soil support in the upper slope area. Like the Chambertin , the Clos Saint-Denis is rich in phosphates . The high clay content can give the wine structure, strength and firmness. The Jura underbody dates from the era of Bajocian .
Wine
The Clos Saint-Denis is usually made exclusively from Pinot Noir . As more varieties are Pinot Liébault and Pinot Beurot admitted. Theoretically, up to 15% white grapes ( Chardonnay , Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc ) can be used. The natural alcohol content must be at least 11.5% by volume. The chaptalization is - as everywhere in Burgundy - allowed. The annual base yield is 35 hectoliters per hectare. This may be exceeded by a maximum of 20%. In the years 2000 to 2004, an average of 225 hectoliters were produced annually from this vineyard. This corresponds to 37 hl / ha. This means that the Grand Cru delivers a good 29,000 bottles per year.
The wine can develop an intense bouquet in which, for example, aromas can be found that are reminiscent of red fruits, rose hips , cinnamon or almonds . It then has a finely structured texture and also has a great taste sustainability. The Clos Saint-Denis wins through longer aging in the cellar. Jean-François Bazin (see literature) describes him as the " Mozart of the Côte d'Or". The variety and the stylistic differences of the producers, however, are stronger than the similarities, which is why generalizations of wine connoisseurs are usually avoided.
history
The origins of Clos Saint-Denis cannot be precisely defined chronologically. The time of origin is assumed to be between 1023 and 1240. In 1023 a religious community of canons consecrated to Saint-Denis (Saint Dionysius of Paris) was founded in Curtil-Vergy . In 1242 she owned a wine cellar in Morey, which points to vineyard ownership in the community. The Clos Saint-Denis itself is mentioned for the first time in 1367. The vineyard was probably never walled, the word "Clos" was rather a general term for a vineyard in Burgundy in the Middle Ages .
After their fortress-like seat was destroyed by the troops of Henry IV in the Wars of Religion , the canons settled in Nuits-Saint-Georges in 1610 . Here they owned vineyards. The borders of the Clos-Saint-Denis were never precisely set. In 1780 49.5 ouvrées (2.12 hectares) are mentioned as monopoly property of the canons. There were also 23 further parcels in the Morey district.
After the French Revolution , this church property was auctioned. It was predominantly members of the bourgeoisie who bought it. In the 20th century, ownership shifted in favor of the local winemakers. Especially during the crisis of the 1920s and 1930s, they bought the vineyards, which had fallen sharply in price and were partly fallow. Most of the Clos Saint-Denis is now owned by wineries from the municipality of Morey-Saint-Denis. The vineyards and especially the Grand Cru locations have increased in value enormously in recent decades. In 1990 the hectare in Clos Saint-Denis was valued at 12 million francs (a good 1.8 million euros).
The Clos Saint-Denis received the status of a Grand Cru on December 8, 1936. In addition to the actual Clos Saint-Denis, the Maison Brûlée site and parts of the Les Chaffots and Calouère sites were defeated. These are referred to as being of equal quality. The decree on the Appellation Contrôlée also covers the neighboring Grands Crus Bonnes Mares and Clos de la Roche .
In 1927, the Morey community decided to add Saint-Denis to their place name. This is a reference to the Clos Saint-Denis. But the Clos de la Roche is described by wine connoisseurs as the highest quality vineyard in the region .
literature
- Jean-François Bazin: Chambertin. La Côte de Nuits de Dijon à Chambolle-Musigny . Jacques Legrand, Paris 1991, ISBN 2-905969-32-6 .
- Benoît France (ed.): Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Solar, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .
- Remington Norman: Cote d'Or. The big wineries in the heart of Burgundy. Hallwag Verlag, Bern 1996, ISBN 3-444-10470-7 .
Web links
- Overview of the vineyards of Morey-Saint-Denis (PDF file; 1.32 MB)
- Exact outline of the location
Individual evidence
- ^ Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson: The Wine Atlas. 5th edition, Hallwag Verlag, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-7742-0775-5 , p. 66.
- ^ Decree on the Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de la Roche and Bonnes Mares appellations
- ^ Remington Norman: Côte d'Or. The big wineries in the heart of Burgundy. Hallwag Verlag, Bern 1996, ISBN 3-444-10470-7 , p. 38f.
- ↑ Jancis Robinson: The Oxford Wine Lexicon. Hallwag Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 , p. 485.
Coordinates: 47 ° 12 ′ 3.9 " N , 4 ° 57 ′ 41.6" E