Clos de Tart, Mommessin 2001

I have been in love with this wine since I first encountered it in barrel and it seems only to have gotten better and better. An elegant, pure and refined nose of earth, coffee, spice and intensely perfumed black cherries combine with focused, tautly muscular, remarkably complex and precise full-bodied, sweet and palate staining flavors that seem to go on and on. But the quality that impresses me the most is the dazzling combination of finesse and power, all wrapped in a finish
of near perfect harmony and balance. This should be capable of aging well for at least two decades. A great wine that is not as dense or monumental as the '05 but this is finer. 95/2019+

Tasted at the pre-dinner vertical to mark Sylvain Pitiot's retirement from the domaine, the 2001 Clos de Tart Grand Cru has a more mature bouquet than the 2002, more rustic perhaps with dried leaves and cold granite scents emerging and mercilessly usurping the red berry fruit. There is something that reminds me of a Pessac-Léognan, curiously enough. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly dry tannin. This is masculine, a little foursquare and impressive in length but beginning to show just a slight attenuation towards the finish. Not a bad Clos du Tart considering the vintage, despite being overshadowed by the exceptional 2002. Maturing with grace and not a hint of pretension. Tasted September 2015.