Clos de Vougeot Château Tasting

Cistercian monks spent 227 years assembling this vineyard — 1109 to 1336 — then enclosed all 50.6 hectares behind a 2km stone wall. That wall is why wine has labels. When Napoleon marched his army past in 1805, he ordered a full military salute. Not to a general. To vines. The timber ceiling above you was cut when Richard the Lionheart was king — tree-ring science confirmed it to 1160. And in 1934, when the Great Depression left Grand Cru cellars overflowing with wine nobody would buy, two men sat down in a cellar in Nuits-Saint-Georges and invented a brotherhood to save Burgundy. They hold their banquets here still.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Walk the Wall That Changed Wine Forever History · Free

   Where: The perimeter of Clos de Vougeot — the great stone wall runs along Route des Grands Crus, visible from the road before you even reach the château entrance. Park near the château gates (Rue de la Montagne, 21640 Vougeot) and walk south along the wall toward the vines.

   What: This wall is why wine has labels. The monks of Cîteaux Abbey spent 227 years — from 1109 to 1336 — assembling these 50.6 hectares parcel by parcel, through purchases and donations. When they finally enclosed the entire vineyard with this 2km stone wall, 2.5 meters high, they were making the world's first formal terroir declaration: every bottle from inside this wall is different from every bottle outside. The concept of appellation — the idea that place creates wine, not just grape or skill — was essentially born here. On 4 July 2015, UNESCO made it official, designating this a World Heritage Site. You're walking along the founding document of all wine geography.

   How: Stop at the southeastern corner of the wall where you can see the vineyard rows descending in three distinct bands — upper (limestone gravel, best structure), middle (clay-limestone), lower (rich alluvial clay). Those soil bands matter: the monks spent 700 years figuring out when to use which. In dry years, they'd include the lower clay parcels that held moisture. In wet years, upper limestone only. This is precision viticulture from the 1200s. Look for the small stone markers at the base of the wall — these delineate individual owners' parcels. There are now 82 of them inside 50.6 hectares.

   Backup: If access near the wall is blocked by farm traffic, the full perimeter is best seen from the D122 (Route des Grands Crus) running along the east side — you can see the whole vineyard lay from road level with the château rising from the vines.

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2. 2 Touch the Wine Presses That Napoleon Saluted History · Price: low

   Where: Inside the Château du Clos de Vougeot, Rue de la Montagne, 21640 Vougeot. Enter through the main gate. Buy your ticket at the desk — self-guided visit (audio guide and information panels in English available). If you want a guide, book the English-language guided tour: 11:30am or 3:30pm, €15 per adult (€7 for students and ages 8–16). Hours: Apr–Oct 9:30am–6pm, Nov–Mar 10am–5pm, open daily.

   What: The cuverie holds four immense 15th-century wine presses — the two oldest were installed in 1478 and 1489. These are not replicas. These are the actual machines that crushed Grand Cru grapes for the monks, then for the French aristocracy, then survived the Revolution, then became property of Burgundy wine merchants in 1889. Above you, the Grand Cellier was constructed between 1160 and 1190 — that date isn't guesswork, it's tree-ring science, dendrochronology performed on the original timber. This is the oldest wine cellar with a confirmed construction date in France. Now for the moment that stops people mid-sentence: In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte marched his Grande Armée through this stretch of the Côte d'Or. When his column reached the Clos de Vougeot, Napoleon ordered the regiment to halt and present arms — the full military salute — to the vineyard. Not to a general. Not to a king. To vines. French military regiments maintained this tradition for generations afterward: any regiment passing Clos de Vougeot presents arms. A walled rectangle of Pinot Noir outranked a field marshal.

   How: Find the four presses in the cuverie and place your hand on the oak beam of the nearest one. Ask yourself who else has touched this wood — the answer covers 550 years. Then walk to the Grand Cellier and look up at the medieval timber ceiling — those beams were cut when Richard the Lionheart was King of England.

   Backup: If the château is closed for a private event (the Confrérie hosts up to 15 chapitres per year — it happens), the exterior wall and gateway are always accessible and carry full interpretive panels.

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3. 3 Find a Bottle with the Tastevin Label — Then Ask Why It Exists Wine · Price: moderate

   Where: In the château gift shop (inside the château after your tour), or at Château de la Tour — the largest owner of Clos de Vougeot vines (5.48 hectares, 12% of the entire appellation), located 300 meters south of the château on Route des Grands Crus. Château de la Tour: tel +33 0380 62 86 13, offers cellar visits and tastings on-site.

   What: Look for a bottle with the distinctive circular Tastevinage seal. Here's what that label means: twice a year, at this exact château, 250 judges — winemakers, brokers, sommeliers, oenologists, journalists — gather to taste blind. No labels. No prices. No reputation. Spring session: red Burgundy. Autumn session: white Burgundy. The wines that survive the panel earn the Tasteviné stamp. When you hold a bottle with that label, 250 people unanimously agreed it was the truest expression of its terroir and vintage. The Tastevinage was created in 1950 by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin — a brotherhood that itself was born of crisis. In 1934, with the Great Depression having collapsed Burgundy wine sales and cellars overflowing with unsold Grand Cru, two men sat down in a wine cellar in Nuits-Saint-Georges: Georges Faiveley (winemaker) and Camille Rodier (journalist). Their answer to an economic catastrophe was to found a brotherhood, host theatrical banquets, and make Burgundy famous again through spectacle and ceremony. It worked. The Confrérie now has chapters on every continent.

   How: At Château de la Tour, ask about the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes — old vine fruit from the central section of the Clos, the sweetest terroir spot in the 50.6 hectares. A bottle runs approximately €80–120. Alternatively, the château gift shop stocks Tasteviné wines from various domaines at €35–60. Look on the label for the name of the owner's parcel section — if it says "haut" (upper), you're getting limestone-driven structure; "bas" (lower) means richer, more immediately fruity.

   Backup: If Château de la Tour is closed, the château gift shop reliably stocks wines from multiple of the 82 owners. Ask the staff which domaine has the most northerly (upper slope) parcel — that will give you the most classic expression.

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4. 4 Witness the Night the Brotherhood Opens the Wine Year Adventure · Price: very high · Optional

   Where: Château du Clos de Vougeot, Rue de la Montagne, 21640 Vougeot. Every third Saturday of November — the opening event of "Les Trois Glorieuses," Burgundy's most sacred annual wine weekend.

   What: Les Trois Glorieuses is three events, three days, one complete immersion into Burgundy's soul. Saturday evening: the Chapitre (chapter) of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, held inside this medieval château. Sunday afternoon: the Hospices de Beaune charity auction, organized by Sotheby's, where a single barrel of Grand Cru can sell for €100,000+. Monday lunch: La Paulée de Meursault, a communal feast where every winemaker brings their best bottles. At the Saturday chapitre, new knights are inducted into the Confrérie — but not with a sword. They receive the accolade from a petrified grapevine root from Burgundy. Membership is by invitation only (two existing members must sponsor you), but attending the Saturday feast is possible through tour operators and some Burgundy-specialist hotels. Black tie. Historic costumes. Theatrical performances. Hundreds of the world's best Burgundy wines poured at dinner. In 2025, Domaine Faiveley — co-founded by the man who started the Confrérie in 1934 — donated a new Clos de Vougeot cuvée to the Hospices de Beaune auction for the first time. The founding family's connection to this exact vineyard is living history.

   How: Book 6–12 months ahead through a Burgundy wine specialist (Cellar Tours, Grape Escapes, or contact the château directly via closdevougeot.fr). Expect €300–600 per person for the Saturday gala dinner. The Hospices de Beaune auction (Sunday) has public gallery seats — register via hospices-beaune.com. Accommodation: book Beaune hotels the moment you confirm the November weekend, as rooms within 15km sell out months in advance.

   Backup: If November doesn't work, the château hosts Tastevinage blind tasting sessions in spring (red Burgundy) and autumn (white Burgundy) — a different kind of spectacle, 250 judges tasting blind at long tables in the Grand Cellier. Contact the château for professional attendance options.

   Log Memory