Clos Saint-Denis

The Clos Saint-Denis appellation d'origine contrôlée is a Grand Cru appellation in the Côte de Nuits region of Côte-d'Or.

In the Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis is one of the villages most renowned for its grands crus. Clos de Tart, which remains a monopoly, was founded in 1141 by the Cistercian nuns of Tart. Since then, it has been part of only three successive estates! Clos Saint-Denis appeared in the 11th century. It was founded by the canons of Vergy. Clos de la Roche and Clos des Lambrays, which are virtually monopolies, are the result of historical foundations and the consolidation of several climats. Grand Cru appellations recognized on December 8, 1936, January 4, 1939 (Clos de Tart) and April 27, 1981 (Clos des Lambrays).At an altitude of around 250 meters and facing east, sometimes slightly east/southeast, these grands crus extend the family of Gevrey-Chambertin grands crus towards the south: Clos de la Roche, then Clos Saint-Denis, Clos des Lambrays and Clos de Tart, before Les Bonnes Mares.

Clos de la Roche is heavily calcareous: barely 30 centimeters of soil, little gravel, and large blocks of stone that gave it its name. Clos de Tart: scree largely covers the calcareous subsoil (40 to 120 centimeters of soil). Clos des Lambrays is marly in its upper part and clay-limestone in its lower part. Clos Saint-Denis: at the bottom of the hillside, brown limestone soils devoid of gravel, with phosphorus as in Chambertin and clay as in Musigny.

Clos Saint-Denis surprises less with its breadth than with its nuances: the Mozart of the Côte de Nuits. Clos de la Roche is more assertive, very similar to Chambertin, serious and deep. Humus and truffle often precede small red or black fruit. A small part of Bonnes Mares is produced in the commune, with the largest part located in Chambolle-Musigny.