Château de la Tour

Hommage à Jean Morin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, France

2015

Vintage

Varietal

Pinot Noir

ABV

Peak 2028-2043

Where it is, June 2026

Approaching Peak: drinkable, but best years are ahead.

The Chateau de la Tour 2015 Hommage a Jean Morin has been accessible since 2023 and in May 2026 is entering a genuinely rewarding phase of its development. The 2015 vintage's natural generosity means this Clos de Vougeot is more approachable in its youth than a leaner year's version would be, and the wine is now displaying an attractive combination of primary richness and early tertiary development. The black cherry and cassis aromatics from the clay soils remain prominent and fresh, but subtle notes of earth, dried herb, and warming cedar are beginning to weave into the bouquet. On the palate, the structural firmness of the Clos de Vougeot terroir is integrating with the vintage's fruit richness beautifully, and the tannins are softening from their initial grip into something denser but more yielding. The peak from 2028 to 2043 suggests the finest expression is still some years away, but current drinking with a 90-minute decant is very rewarding.

Related vintages

The ‘15 Hommage à Jean Morin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru.

A richly textured, old-vine Clos de Vougeot prestige cuvee of genuine clay-soil authority from the only estate with a chateau inside Burgundy's most famous walled vineyard.

Drinking window

The arcYou are here · approaching peak, 2026

Tasting note

Chateau de la Tour's 2015 Hommage a Jean Morin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru pours a deeply saturated garnet-ruby of considerable richness, the color already telling the story of the estate's old vine material and the 2015 vintage's exceptional generosity. On the nose, the wine opens with remarkable opulence: ripe black cherry and cassis lead alongside crushed violets, dark earth, and subtle smoky-mineral notes that arise directly from the Clos de Vougeot's famous heavy clay soils. The clay subsoil is the terroir signature of Chateau de la Tour's Clos de Vougeot holdings, and it imparts a distinctive weight and earthy complexity to the aromatics that distinguishes this estate's wines from those of producers working the lighter, sandier soils at the upper reaches of the same walled vineyard. As the wine opens, further layers emerge: dried plum, cedar, a warming spice, and a rich, soil-driven persistence that speaks to the extraordinary age of the vine material in the estate's oldest parcels. On the palate, the full-body and structural firmness that characterize Clos de Vougeot's terroir are fully expressed, wrapped in the warmth and opulence of the 2015 vintage. The Hommage a Jean Morin is the prestige cuvee of this estate for good reason: the tannins are richer and more present than in the standard bottling, promising evolution well into the 2040s.

The 2015 vintage

The 2015 Burgundy vintage, characterized by exceptional warmth and a dry, generous growing season, was ideally suited to Clos de Vougeot's heavy clay soils, which in cooler years can produce wines of uneven ripeness. In 2015, the clay-rich enclosure's capacity to retain heat through summer worked in the wine's favor, ripening the fruit fully while the clay's moisture retention kept the vines from stress during the driest periods. The result at Chateau de la Tour was Hommage a Jean Morin of extraordinary opulence and depth, the vintage's richness combining with the old-vine concentration of the estate's most ancient parcels to produce a wine of unusual completeness. The 2015 is among the most generous recent vintages for Clos de Vougeot, where the terroir's weight finds its natural complement in the year's warmth.

About Château de la Tour

Chateau de la Tour is the only estate with a chateau physically inside the walls of Clos de Vougeot, giving it a uniquely privileged position in this famous grand cru enclosure. The estate controls among the largest single holdings within the Clos and farms exclusively within this storied walled vineyard, making it effectively a single-vineyard specialist of unparalleled intensity. The Hommage a Jean Morin is the estate's prestige cuvee, vinified from the oldest vine material and aged for the maximum allowable period in new French oak barrique. It is one of Burgundy's most authentic and compelling expressions of Clos de Vougeot's clay-terroir power.

From the cellar: pair with

Braised beef cheeks with roasted root vegetables and Burgundy jus

The collagen-rich beef braise and the rich Burgundy-reduced sauce amplify the Hommage's clay-earth complexity and provide the structural anchor the wine's dense tannins require.

Roasted duck magret with cherry reduction and caramelized shallots

The duck magret's fat provides the necessary richness to frame the prestige cuvee's structure, while the cherry reduction creates a direct bridge to the wine's dominant dark fruit register.

Aged Epoisses or Ami du Chambertin with walnut bread

The bold Burgundian washed-rind cheese tradition is perfectly matched to a grand cru of this stature, with the cheese's pungency cutting through the wine's density and the walnut adding a complementary earthiness.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 16-18C / 61-64F
Decanting: Decant for 90 minutes minimum. The Hommage a Jean Morin style is built on structural weight and rich fruit that requires air to open fully. A wide-bodied decanter is preferred to allow the clay-soil complexity to express itself. The wine should be served at the upper end of the recommended serving temperature range to encourage opening.
Cellar Storage: 12-14C / 54-57F

Track this bottle Read the Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, France guide

The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.

Frequently Asked

What is the Hommage a Jean Morin cuvee?

The Hommage a Jean Morin is Chateau de la Tour's prestige selection, vinified from the oldest vine parcels within the Clos de Vougeot and aged longer than the standard bottling. It is named in honor of a former owner of the estate.

Is Chateau de la Tour inside the Clos de Vougeot walls?

Yes, it is the only estate with a physical chateau inside the famous walled enclosure, giving it a historically unique and prestigious position within this grand cru vineyard.

When is the best time to open the 2015 Hommage?

The peak window runs from 2028 to 2043. The wine drinks well now with extended decanting, but the finest expression awaits those who wait another two to five years.

How do the clay soils of Clos de Vougeot affect the wine's character?

Clos de Vougeot's heavy clay soils, particularly in the lower sections where Chateau de la Tour farms, contribute a characteristic fullness, earthy depth, and structural weight to the wines that distinguish them from the lighter, sandier soils at the upper elevation of the same vineyard.