Mommessin
Clos de Tart Grand Cru
Morey-Saint-Denis
2021
Vintage
Varietal
Pinot Noir
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2024-2043).
In 2026 the Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021 is at peak year 2, two years into a 19-year peak arc that opened in 2024 and runs through 2043. At this early peak stage, the 2021 is presenting the first fully integrated expression of a wine formed by the most challenging Burgundy growing season in decades: the April 7 and 8, 2021 frost events that struck the Côte d'Or with devastating severity reduced yields at Clos de Tart to a fraction of normal production, concentrating the surviving fruit into a wine of exceptional mineral precision and structural intensity that the 2021 growing season's cool recovery and ideal late-summer conditions translated into the detailed, delineated aromatic bouquet and mineral-precise palate character that the tasting notes describe. In 2026 at peak year 2, the Clos de Tart 2021 is still in the early stage of its peak arc, showing the black fruit, sous-bois, tobacco, and floral aromatic character in its most vibrant and structurally fresh expression. The wine's mineral precision and excellent palate length, which the tasting notes identify as the 2021's most distinguishing palate qualities, are presenting at full peak-entry character in 2026 with 17 years of further peak development ahead through 2043. Collectors opening bottles in 2026 are experiencing the 2021 Clos de Tart at its most structurally vigorous and aromatically vibrant early-peak stage; those who hold through the 2030s will find greater aromatic integration and tertiary complexity as the peak arc develops across its full 19-year span.
The ‘21 Clos de Tart Grand Cru.
Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021: peak year 2, the Morey-Saint-Denis monopole delivering black fruit, sous-bois, tobacco, mineral precision, and 17 years of prime drinking ahead through 2043.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021 pours a translucent ruby of characteristic Morey-Saint-Denis Pinot Noir clarity and aromatic lift that communicates immediately the monopole vineyard's naturally precise and structurally defined character within the range of Burgundy Grand Cru styles. The nose at peak year 2 in 2026 opens with a detailed and delineated aromatic bouquet of black fruit of considerable precision and depth, the black cherry and blackberry of the Clos de Tart monopole site arriving with the mineral definition and structural clarity that distinguishes this Grand Cru from the more aromatically generous and immediately opulent expressions of neighboring Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée. Sous-bois adds the aromatic complexity of considerable character that the Clos de Tart monopole consistently develops across its Morey-Saint-Denis terroir: an underbrush, earthy, and foresty aromatic dimension of the woodland-floor complexity that old Burgundy vines in the finest monopole sites deliver with exceptional site fidelity. Tobacco of considerable aromatic precision and persistence follows, adding the structural aromatic complexity that distinguishes the Clos de Tart from lighter-framed Morey-Saint-Denis expressions, a tobacco note of considerable definition and character that the wine's formidable phenolic structure and the 2021 frost-year concentration have amplified to peak-entry prominence. Floral notes of delicacy and beauty complete the nose alongside the sous-bois and tobacco complexity. On the palate the wine shows pure black cherry and bilberry with mineral precision that is among the most crystalline and defined expressions of Clos de Tart Pinot Noir in the available vintage range, the 2021 frost-reduced yields having concentrated the fruit to an exceptional degree of purity and mineral definition. The finish shows excellent length with the mineral precision and structural character that the 2021 vintage and the Clos de Tart terroir together produce at their finest.
The 2021 vintage
The 2021 Burgundy vintage was defined above all by the devastating spring frost events of April 7 and 8, which struck the Côte d'Or with frost temperatures that killed primary buds across nearly all Burgundy appellations and reduced yields to the lowest levels in a generation at many estates. At Clos de Tart, as throughout Morey-Saint-Denis, the April frost significantly reduced the surviving crop to a fraction of normal harvest volumes, concentrating the surviving fruit into wines of exceptional intensity and phenolic precision. The growing season that followed the frost in 2021 was characterized by cool summer temperatures that preserved the natural acidity and aromatic freshness of the surviving fruit, with harvest arriving in late September under excellent conditions that delivered Pinot Noir of exceptional aromatic definition and mineral precision alongside the concentration produced by the frost-reduced yields. Decanter identified 2021 as a vintage of exceptional structural character and mineral precision for Côte de Nuits Grand Cru wines, noting that estates whose surviving fruit benefited from the cool summer recovery and late-September ideal harvest conditions produced wines of remarkable concentration and longevity despite the season's severe challenges.
About Mommessin
Clos de Tart is Burgundy's most celebrated monopole Grand Cru in the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation, a 7.5-hectare walled vineyard entirely owned by a single proprietor that has produced wine under single ownership since the Cistercian era. The Clos de Tart monopole's distinctiveness within the Côte de Nuits Grand Cru hierarchy is defined by its combination of the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation's naturally structured and mineral-precise Pinot Noir character and the monopole's own particular terroir of clay-limestone soils on a mid-slope exposure that delivers the detailed and delineated aromatic bouquet and mineral-precise palate structure that distinguish Clos de Tart from the more florally expressive Chambolle-Musigny monopoles and the denser Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru expressions. The 2021 vintage was produced under the estate's current direction by Artémis Domaines, the Pinault family holding company that also owns Château Latour, who acquired Clos de Tart in 2018 and directed the winemaking team's commitment to whole-cluster fermentation techniques and minimal-intervention cellar work aimed at preserving the monopole terroir's precise mineral character and sous-bois complexity in every vintage.
From the cellar: pair with
Roasted squab with truffle butter, braised chicory, and chestnut puree
The Clos de Tart 2021's detailed black fruit, sous-bois, and tobacco aromatic bouquet and mineral-precise palate pair with roasted squab's rich gamey character; truffle butter amplifies the wine's woodland sous-bois complexity, and chestnut puree provides the earthy starch richness that complements the wine's mineral precision without overwhelming the monopole terroir's characteristic structural delicacy.
Venison loin with blackberry reduction, celeriac gratin, and roasted root vegetables
At peak year 2, the wine's pure black cherry and bilberry palate character and excellent mineral length pair naturally with venison's lean gamey richness; blackberry reduction mirrors the primary fruit aromatic dimension of the Clos de Tart 2021 with concentrated precision, and celeriac gratin adds the earthy depth that the wine's sous-bois complexity complements most directly.
Duck confit with black cherry sauce, lentils du Puy, and sautéed mushrooms
The Clos de Tart 2021's tobacco aromatic complexity, detailed sous-bois depth, and mineral-precise black fruit pair with duck confit's rendered fat and deeply savory character; black cherry sauce bridges the wine's primary fruit dimension, and lentils du Puy provide the mineral-earthy depth that the monopole's terroir complexity amplifies with characteristic precision.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 59-62F (15-17C)
- Decanting
- Decant 25 to 35 minutes in 2026 at peak year 2. The Clos de Tart 2021's detailed bouquet of black fruit, sous-bois, tobacco, and floral notes at early peak stage opens with modest aeration to reveal the mineral precision and palate length that distinguish this monopole Grand Cru from neighboring Burgundy expressions. Serve in a large Burgundy-format glass at 59 to 62F to preserve the wine's characteristic aromatic definition and mineral clarity.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
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.
More from Burgundy
Frequently Asked
When is the best time to drink Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021?
In 2026 the 2021 is at peak year 2, two years into a 19-year peak arc that runs through 2043. The wine is showing its most vibrant and structurally fresh early-peak expression in 2026, with the black fruit, sous-bois, tobacco, and mineral precision fully integrated and presenting at peak-entry level. Collectors opening bottles now are experiencing the 2021 at its most aromatically vibrant early-peak stage. Those who hold through the 2030s will find greater aromatic integration and tertiary complexity as the peak arc develops its full character. See the [Burgundy regional guide](/wines/region/burgundy) for Côte de Nuits monopole Grand Cru drinking context.
How long should I decant Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021?
Decant 25 to 35 minutes in 2026 at peak year 2. The Clos de Tart 2021's detailed aromatic bouquet of black fruit, sous-bois, tobacco, and floral notes at early peak opens with modest aeration to its full mineral-precise and structurally vibrant early-peak expression. Longer decanting could diminish the wine's aromatic definition and the mineral precision that is its most distinctive quality at this stage of its peak arc. Serve in a large Burgundy-format glass at 59 to 62F.
What food pairings work with Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2021?
At peak year 2, the Clos de Tart 2021's detailed black fruit, sous-bois woodland complexity, tobacco aromatic dimension, and mineral-precise palate pair most naturally with game birds and red game at their most aromatically defined: roasted squab with truffle butter and chestnut puree, venison loin with blackberry reduction and celeriac gratin, or duck confit with black cherry sauce and lentils du Puy. The wine's sous-bois and tobacco complexity pairs especially well with truffled preparations and earthy mushroom accompaniments. See the [Pinot Noir varietal guide](/wines/varietal/pinot-noir) for monopole Grand Cru pairing principles.
How does the 2021 Clos de Tart compare to the 2020, 2015, and 2014 vintages?
The 2021 Clos de Tart is among the most concentrated and structurally precise vintages in the available range, reflecting the frost-reduced yields that dramatically concentrated the surviving fruit's mineral character and structural intensity. The 2020 (also published on cellared.ai) was a warmer and more generous vintage producing a Clos de Tart of greater aromatic richness and fruit generosity; the 2021's frost-year concentration delivers greater mineral precision and structural intensity at the cost of the 2020's aromatic warmth. The 2015 is considered among the great modern Clos de Tart vintages for its combination of warmth-derived fruit and the monopole's characteristic mineral structure.