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Clos de Tart, Mommessin 2005

RegionBurgundy
Subregion France > Burgundy > Côte de Nuits > Morey-Saint-Denis
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyPinot Noir

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Tasting Notes

This hasn't changed much from when I first reviewed it from bottle in 2007 though it has not shut down in the fashion of many '05s at this point. An expressive and very ripe black berry fruit, spice, mocha, fresh coffee and earthy nose is surrounded by a more moderate touch of oak that continues onto the rich, full, concentrated, powerful and sweet flavors that possess superb mid-palate density and huge length. This is an extremely rich and concentrated wine that will live for ages and in fact, about the only thing that has changed is that it appears even more structured than I initially thought. In a word, fantastic. Drink: Try from 2025+

96
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, November 2009

Tasted at the pre-dinner vertical to mark Sylvain Pitiot's retirement from the domaine, the 2005 Clos de Tart Grand Cru (tasted from magnum) is bestowed a magnificent bouquet of haunting intensity and purity: wild strawberry and raspberry - every atom infused with mineral/cold stone scents with amazing focus. The palate is simply to die for. Here, a precise lattice of tannin that is incredibly framed with perfect poise and detail, there is a gentle crescendo to an incisive finish that takes your breath away. Could this be Sylvain Pitior's greatest achievement alongside the 2002? Astonishingly fine - très grand cru, très délicieux.

97
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (221), October 2015

From the young vines (this is unlikely to be part of the grand cru blend): Bright ruby-red. Ripe raspberry and smoke on the nose. Rich, full and minerally but not really sweet; could use a bit more personality and depth. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins. From the bottom of the slope: Saturated ruby-red. Knockout nose melds sappy black raspberry and minerals. Sweet and ripe but sappy; distinctly chewier and denser than the young vines, with noteworthy intensity and a chocolatey note. Has the fat to support its substantial tannins. From the middle of the slope: Saturated ruby-red. Black cherry, minerals, mocha and brown spices on the nose. Fat, lush and broad, with building, fine-grained tannins arriving late. Boasts an almost confectionery sweetness paired with strong structure. From vines at the top of the hill (80% destemmed-"as always," according to Pitiot): Bright ruby-red. Sexy, vibrant aromas of black raspberry and flowers, with a suggestion of superripeness. Suave, broad and fine, with harmonious acidity and superb class. Intriguing note of mocha. Finishes sweet and very long, with a substantial dusting of very fine tannins. From a cuvee vinified with 100% whole clusters (the malolactic fermentation finished last October, while the wine was still in cuve Ruby-red. Highly nuanced nose shows a pungent peppery quality along with mocha and mineral notes. Juicy and vibrant in the mouth, showing less fat than the last couple of components but more energy and spice character. Perhaps a tad dry on the end. A blend of the above components, but not including the young vines: Ruby-red. Aromas of briary black raspberry, spices and meat, lifted by a peppery quality. Very suave and very complex in the mouth, but not at all a huge wine. Lovely harmonious acidity gives it an impression of energy, but this may well rely more on its substantial dusty tannins for longevity. Best today on the very long and subtle aftertaste, which features a note of dark chocolate.

92/95
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Sylvain Pithiot and his team – whom I did not have a chance to visit in person – scored an impressive success with this venerable Mommessin monopole. For a Burgundy of over 14% alcohol, the 2005 Clos de Tart exhibits remarkably “cool” aromas of blueberry, greenhouse vegetation and flowers, smoked meats, and sea breeze. Nor does its silken-textured, blue- and black-fruited palate impression, while voluminous, evince any heat. Juicy in fruit, savory, saline, and stony throughout, this wine finishes with a lasting impression of concentrated fresh blueberry and blackberry, along with stony, alkaline minerality and black pepper-dusted smoked duck.

94
David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate (171), June 2007

An expressive and very ripe black berry fruit, spice, mocha, fresh coffee and earthy nose is surrounded by a generous blast of new oak that continues onto the rich, full, concentrated, powerful and sweet flavors that possess superb mid-palate density and huge length. This is an extremely rich wine and because of the influence of the wood, the detail that will very likely come with time in bottle has not yet developed but this is so concentrated yet balanced that it's only a matter of time. This will live for ages and somewhat surprisingly, this is actually approachable now simply because it is so concentrated yet I suspect that when this finally shuts down, it will stay there for the better part of a decade. In a word, fantastic. Drink: 2020+

96
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (29), January 2008
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.