Domaine Prieuré Roch, Ladoix Le Cloud Rouge, 2021

Situated to the North of Côte de Beaune at the foot of the Montagne de Corton, just at the limit of the Côte des Nuits, in the appellation “Ladoix Villages”, the plot called “le clou”, which gets its name from “cloud” covers 2.16 hectares of which 1.68 ha is planted with pinot noir and the remaining 0.48 ha in chardonnay. This is the most immediately expressive of Domaine Prieuré Roch’s vineyards.

In 1988 Henri-Frédéric Roch, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and grandson of Henri Leroy, decided to create his own exclusive domaine from some of DRC’s choicest parcels in Vosne-Romanée. The vineyards are treated organically and hold only old vines (30-100 years), the domaine harvesting as late as possible in several tries, to maximise fruit and phenolic ripeness. The grapes are vinified naturally, with whole bunch fermentation and punching down by foot, followed by no fining, no filtration and very light use of sulphur.

The resulting wines have a special purity and complexity which is hard to encapsulate. Vibrant, fresh aromatics and very bright acidity are balanced by superbly ripe, sophisticated fruit and spice flavours.

Like the wines of other great minimal-interventionist and biodynamic producers, they can be enjoyed young but are also capable of long-term cellaring. These are very holistic wines, at once earthy yet ethereal and stylistically they offer a unique balance of vigour and wisdom. Unsurprisingly given the calibre of their vineyards the quality is always outstanding.