Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Cuvée Hommage 2020

97 POINTS: Burghound
96 POINTS: International Wine Cellar

"I last reviewed this in Issue 49 and ... I repeat the review from one year ago for this exceptionally promising effort: In celebration of the old vines turning 100 years of age, Labet decided to create a special cuvée made entirely from shot berries. The moderate wood influence will have absolutely no difficulty in being absorbed and like the old vines cuvée, it is already well along on its way to integrating it. Everything about this wine is concentrated and powerful, from the incredibly densely fruited nose to the opulently thick mid-palate all the way to the lavishly rich, velvety and palate drenching finish that goes on and on and on. Young Clos de Vougeot is almost always austere and not very forthcoming. Well, this takes those attributes and raises them to the third power as this is an extremely austere and backward wine that is about as old school as you will ever taste in a modern day burgundy; indeed it would be more than fair to call this Cistercian. This is still sorting itself out as there is a bit of wood that comes up on the finish but it seems quite clear that virtually all of the incredible potential that I saw in cask has made it into bottle. The only thing now necessary is a 20 year nap in the cellar and we should have something that is truly spectacular. I for one can't wait to see this wine then."
- Burghound

The domain has been owned by the François Labet family since 1870, and its vines are over 50 years old. Few domains embody Clos de Vougeot as well as Château de la Tour. Indeed, it is the only domains to be located in the Clos and is one of its main owners. The domain is now advised by Sylvain Pataille for its winemaking. The annual production is 22,000 bottles of Cuvée Classique and 3,000 bottles of Cuvée Vielles Vignes in good vintages. The "Hommage à Jean Morin" cuvée was created in 2010 to celebrate the centenary of the old vines of the domain.