Pitiot’s last Clos de Tart released

The 2014 Clos de Tart, the last vintage of the Burgundian monopole to be made by winemaker Sylvain Pitiot, has been released.

Pitiot (pictured) was in charge at Clos de Tart from 1996 to 2014 before he handed over full winemaking duties to Jacques Devauges.

Widely credited with drastically improving the quality of the output of the Morey-Saint-Denis monopole, Clos de Tart’s UK importer, Corney & Barrow noted that the 2014 shows how far the wine has come under his tenure.

The merchant’s fine wine director, Will Hargrove, said the 2014 is the best wine since 2010. His notes mention its “depth” as well as a “rich feel” and “serious berried fruits”.

The 2014 release also sees one of the occasional returns of Clos de Tart’s ‘second’ wine – La Forge de Tart, which Corney & Barrow noted was a “very lovely wine in 2014”, with a “positively hedonistic attack” of dark berry fruit.

Devauges himself said of the wine: “2014 is a charming vintage, both dense and appetising, benefitting from a season which was very variable but which overall favoured the vine.”

Although Pitiot has stepped back from winemaking at the clos, he has said himself he will remain in more of an “observation” role for a little while longer.