Mommessin

Clos de Tart Grand Cru

Clos de Tart Grand Cru, France

2002

Vintage

Varietal

Pinot Noir

ABV

13.0%

Peak 2020-2038

Where it is, June 2026

At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2020-2038).

In 2026, the Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2002 stands at mature peak, fully evolved after twenty-four years but with real vitality remaining - the peak window extends to 2038 thanks to the 2002 vintage's exceptional natural balance of acidity and concentration. The Wine Spectator described the vintage as 'fresh, balanced and elegant,' and that freshness, sustained by the vintage's intact acidity through two decades of cellaring, continues to animate the wine in 2026. The primary fruit of youth has given way entirely to a complex tertiary register: faded dark cherry evolving toward dried fruit, iron ore, truffle, worn leather, cedar, and the earthy forest-floor character that marks Clos de Tart's limestone-and-clay monopole terroir at maturity. Tannins are fully resolved, providing a smooth, supple frame rather than grip. This is a wine to open and experience slowly over several hours - it evolves beautifully in the glass, revealing new dimensions as it breathes. Collectors with remaining bottles can hold with confidence through 2035, but the peak complexity available in 2026 makes waiting feel unnecessary. Decant one hour with care for sediment.

Related vintages

The ‘02 Clos de Tart Grand Cru.

Twenty-four years have evolved the Mommessin Clos de Tart 2002 into a profound monopole expression - iron, truffle, leather, and dried cherry in a complete and harmonious peak.

Drinking window

The arcYou are here · at peak, 2026

Tasting note

The 2002 Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru pours a deep garnet with a distinctly evolved brick-tinged rim - the visual signature of Burgundy in full maturity, the color still showing depth at twenty-four years. On the nose, the wine is profoundly complex: the ground-truth notes describe faded dark cherry, iron, truffle, leather, cedar, and forest floor interwoven in a compelling tapestry, a description that remains accurate in 2026. This is the tertiary register of great Morey-Saint-Denis at its finest - no primary fruit remains to compete with the layers of minerality and earth that have emerged over two decades. The Wine Spectator's characterization of the vintage as 'fresh, balanced and elegant' proves accurate not just in youth but in this remarkable maturity: the wine retains a freshness, driven by the vintage's intact acidity (level 7), that prevents the tertiary complexity from becoming heavy. On the palate, the attack is broad and supple, the tannins (level 6) fully resolved into a smooth frame. Iron ore, damp earth, dried cherry, and truffle define the mid-palate; the finish is extended and mineral, with a cedar note that lingers. Body at level 7 gives genuine presence. The monopole terroir - limestone-rich subsoil beneath clay loam - asserts itself throughout. A thrilling demonstration of what Clos de Tart becomes with time.

The 2002 vintage

The 2002 Burgundy vintage was shaped by a growing season of unusual balance - a cool, wet spring gave way to a warm summer without the extreme heat events that would mark the 2003 vintage that followed, and the season concluded with a warm, dry September that brought fruit to full physiological maturity without haste or stress. The Wine Spectator characterized the vintage as 'fresh, balanced and elegant' with a 96-point rating - a descriptor that distinguished 2002 from the denser, more extracted style of surrounding great years. Unlike the historic heat of 2003 or the power of 2005, the 2002 vintage in Morey-Saint-Denis produced wines of classical proportion: full ripeness at natural alcohol levels, precise acidity, and tannin structures built for graceful aging rather than early impact. Harvest in Morey came under dry conditions with fruit that was healthy across the appellation. At Clos de Tart, the monopole's ability to harvest at consistent ripeness across all vine rows contributed to a wine of exceptional evenness from this already harmonious vintage. Explore more Burgundy Grand Cru context at the [Burgundy cellar guide](/wines/region/burgundy) and [Pinot Noir aging windows](/wines/varietal/pinot-noir).

About Mommessin

Clos de Tart is one of Burgundy's most historically significant monopoles - a single walled Grand Cru in Morey-Saint-Denis controlled entirely by one proprietor, with roots in Cistercian cultivation dating to the twelfth century. The Mommessin family acquired the estate in 1932 and maintained it through 2018, when it passed to Francois Pinault's Artemis Domaines group. During the Mommessin era, the winemaking philosophy drew quality from vineyard discipline - low yields and careful fruit selection - rather than heavy cellar intervention. The house approach included traditional fermentation with whole-cluster inclusion, patient aging in Burgundian pieces with a conservative proportion of new barrels, and a commitment to preserving the mineral character of the clos's limestone-and-clay terroir rather than masking it with wood influence. Clos de Tart's east-facing slope and thin topsoil over limestone parent rock produce wines of natural structure and iron-mineral depth that distinguish the site from its Grand Cru neighbors. Mommessin-era bottles from the 2002 through 2014 vintages are sought by collectors as the final chapter of this traditional interpretation before the post-2018 renovation. See the [Mommessin Clos de Tart 2008](/wines/mommessin/clos-de-tart-grand-cru/2008) for this same philosophy in a contrasting vintage.

From the cellar: pair with

Beef tenderloin with mushroom ragout

Fully resolved tannins (level 6) and earthy tertiary character - truffle, iron, forest floor - align with beef richness and mushroom earthiness; the body (level 7) provides structure without dominating the delicate preparation.

Aged hard cheese - Comte 24-month or Gruyere

Persistent acidity (level 7) and the wine's cedary finish balance aged cheese fat; the iron-mineral character of mature Clos de Tart complements the nutty crystalline texture of 24-month Comte.

Duck confit with Puy lentils and lardon

Fully integrated tannins and the wine's evolved dark cherry and iron character handle duck confit richness; earthy lentils and lardon amplify the sous-bois and forest-floor notes of mature Morey.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 62-65F (17-18C)
Decanting: Decant one hour in 2026. Stand the bottle upright for 24 hours beforehand to settle sediment, then pour carefully leaving any deposit in the bottle. At 24 years of age, the wine evolves beautifully over a 2-3 hour dinner - do not over-decant.
Cellar Storage: 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.

Track this bottle Read the Clos de Tart 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

Is the 2002 Mommessin Clos de Tart still drinking well in 2026?

Yes, emphatically. In 2026 this wine is at mature peak - fully evolved but with real vitality remaining thanks to the 2002 vintage's exceptional acidity. The peak window extends to 2038. The wine offers a complete tertiary experience: iron, truffle, leather, dried cherry, and the earthy monopole character of Clos de Tart. Open now and experience it over two to three hours as it evolves in the glass.

How should I open and decant a 24-year-old Burgundy with sediment?

Stand the bottle upright for 24 hours before opening to allow sediment to settle. Decant carefully over one hour, pouring slowly and stopping before sediment reaches the neck. Use a light source behind the neck to monitor clarity. Serve between 62-65F and allow the wine to evolve over a full dinner - at this age the first 30 minutes in the glass are often less expressive than the following two hours.

What food pairs best with this mature Clos de Tart?

Beef tenderloin with mushroom preparations, duck confit with earthy accompaniments, or aged hard cheeses are natural companions. The wine's fully resolved tannins, persistent acidity, and iron-mineral character handle moderate fat and earthy savory flavors well. The 2002's tertiary complexity - truffle, leather, cedar - is amplified and complemented by umami-rich preparations.

How does Mommessin-era Clos de Tart compare to the current Artemis Domaines version?

Mommessin-era bottles (1932-2018) represent a traditional long-aging style with minimal intervention, whole-cluster character, and conservative new oak that allowed the monopole terroir to express itself directly. The Artemis Domaines acquisition in 2018 brought significant winery investment and a shift toward a more modern approach. Mommessin-era vintages from 2002 through 2014 are collected for the traditional house style and are becoming increasingly scarce.