Côtes de Nuits-Villages
Au Clou 2024
This is the wine King Henri IV had in mind to go with the Sunday chicken he wished every family in France to enjoy. It is as accessible as it is amiable, honest and straightforward in taste.
Origin
This recent appellation, introduced in 1964, covers 163 ha of which 157 ha produce red wines. In the northern part of the appellation, some of the terroirs in the villages of Brochon and Fixin are able to bear this appellation, but it is in the southern part, beginning in Corgoloin (the frontier between the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits) that most of the vineyards are located. The climate is located on a slight slope and is not very far from the best known "Clos des Langres" and the quarries of the village.
The hillsides, including ”Au Clou”, are cut into the Upper Bathonian limestone and have an even, gentle slope. “Au Clou” is a large plot of vines that may have been surrounded by walls in the past, the word "clou", meaning "clos" in the XIV, XV and XI centuries.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: the Upper Bathonian limestone
Orientation: South-East
Surface area under vine: 0.30 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 17 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 46 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 15 September 2024.
The grapes were handpicked. They were sorted a first time in the vineyard and again on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes were 70% destemmed but not crushed and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration of 17 days of which 2 days cold (12 ° C): Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 3 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 8 months with no racking using a proportion of 60% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time for very delicate oaking.
Bottling
Bottling: by gravity on July 2, 2025, unfined wine, light lenticular filtration.
Number of bottles: 680.
Vintage
Elegant and Structured
The 2024 vintage, marked by limited sunshine and frequent rainfall, required constant attention in the vineyard. At Les Ursulines, meticulous sorting allowed the selection of the most promising grapes (with very low yields in red), fully expressing the qualitative potential of the harvest. The result meets our highest expectations: the whites display beautiful freshness and acidity, while the reds reveal intense fruit character and supple tannins.
Ageing potential: between 6 to 8 years.
Tasting notes
Adorned with a beautiful ruby hue, the nose reveals an elegant aromatic profile of ripe fruits, with notes of candied cherry and plum. On the palate, the wine shows a generous and supple body, carried by an enveloping roundness, while retaining depth and structure. It nonetheless maintains a lovely freshness, typical of the vintage, along with a remarkable length on the finish.
