Domaine du Clos de Tart

The Clos de Tart traces its origins to 1141, when Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart established this walled vineyard in what is now the village of Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte de Nuits. The enclosing walls, rebuilt and maintained over the centuries, define a single coherent parcel that has never been broken up through inheritance or sale. At the French Revolution in 1789 the Bernardines lost the estate after some 650 years of ownership, and it was purchased by the Marey-Monge family in 1791. That family held it until 1932, when the négociant house Mommessin acquired the domaine, adding their name to a lineage of remarkable continuity. The Morey-Saint-Denis Grand Cru AOC was formally created in 1939, cementing the monopole status that the single-ownership history had made possible.

• Established 1141 by Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart; one of Burgundy's oldest continuously operating wine estates.
• Bernardine ownership lasted approximately 650 years, ending at the French Revolution in 1789.
• Marey-Monge family owned the estate from 1791 to 1932; Mommessin family from 1932 to 2017.
• Grand Cru Monopole AOC designation formally created 1939, recognising the vineyard's unique single-ownership status.

In October 2017 François Pinault's Artemis Domaines purchased Clos de Tart for a reported €200 million, making it the most expensive single-vineyard acquisition on record at the time. Artemis Domaines, led by CEO Frédéric Engerer, also oversees Château Latour, Domaine d'Eugénie, Château Grillet, and Eisele Vineyard in California. Jacques Devauges served as director during the initial transition, overseeing the move toward organic certification before departing for Clos des Lambrays in March 2019. Alessandro Noli, previously at Château Grillet, was appointed Estate Director in March 2019 and directed the first full vintage cycle entirely under the Artemis programme. The 2019 vintage is therefore regarded as the first to be produced entirely under Noli's oversight from vine to bottle, marking a clear line of stylistic continuity under the new ownership.

• Artemis Domaines acquired Clos de Tart in October 2017 for a reported €200 million, then the highest-priced vineyard sale on record.
• Frédéric Engerer serves as CEO of Artemis Domaines, overseeing the estate alongside Château Latour and Château Grillet.
• Alessandro Noli appointed Estate Director March 2019; the 2019 vintage was his first full 'berry to bottle' cycle.
• New vat room with 15 wooden vats inaugurated in 2019 under Artemis stewardship, alongside ongoing renovation of the medieval clos walls.

The entire Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole occupies 7.53 hectares of clay-limestone soils, specifically limestone marl interlaced with varied clays, within the Morey-Saint-Denis Grand Cru AOC. The vineyard is divided into 20 to 27 distinct plots, each reflecting its own microterroir, and all planted exclusively to Pinot Noir. Vines average approximately 60 years of age, contributing the concentration and complexity associated with low-yielding old stock. A secondary wine, La Forge de Tart, is produced from the youngest vines in the estate, those under 25 years old, and carries the Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru AOC; production of La Forge is variable and vintage-dependent. Annual production of the Grand Cru itself runs to approximately 20,000 bottles.

• 7.53 hectares of walled clay-limestone vineyard in Morey-Saint-Denis Grand Cru AOC; 100% Pinot Noir.
• Divided into 20-27 distinct plots with individual microterroirs; vines average approximately 60 years of age.
• La Forge de Tart (Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru) produced from vines under 25 years old; production is occasional and vintage-dependent.
• Annual production of the Grand Cru is approximately 20,000 bottles, reflecting a yield target of around 30 hl/ha.

Winemaking at Clos de Tart is defined by meticulous plot-level separation, with each of the vineyard's distinct parcels vinified individually in dedicated wooden vats. The 2019 installation of 15 new wooden vats gave Noli the infrastructure to maintain this granular approach throughout fermentation. Natural yeast fermentation is used exclusively, and extended barrel ageing of approximately 18 months in 80% new oak follows. Organic certification was achieved from the 2018 vintage after a conversion begun under Devauges; biodynamic certification followed for the 2019 vintage, completing a transformation that had begun in 2016-2017. The 2024 vintage illustrated the vulnerability of this single-parcel model to climate, producing only 13 hl/ha against the usual target of 30 hl/ha.

• 15 wooden vats installed 2019 for plot-by-plot vinification across up to 27 individual parcels.
• Fermentation with natural yeasts; approximately 18 months barrel ageing in 80% new oak.
• Organic certified from 2018 vintage; biodynamic certified from 2019 vintage, following conversion begun 2016-2017.
• Yield target approximately 30 hl/ha; 2024 vintage produced only 13 hl/ha due to challenging climatic conditions.

Clos de Tart occupies a singular position in Burgundy and in world wine because it represents the rarest convergence of historical, legal, and viticultural distinctions. As one of only seven Grand Cru Monopoles in France and the largest of Burgundy's five, it demonstrates what unbroken single ownership across nine centuries looks like in a glass. The Pinault family's investment, reported at €200 million, set a benchmark for vineyard valuations that reframed how the market understands irreplaceable terroir. Historic bottles have reflected this: a group of 1945 Clos de Tart sold at Christie's in June 2024 for £43,750, roughly 14 times the pre-sale estimate. For students of WSET Diploma and MW level, the estate is a reference point for understanding monopoles, Grand Cru classification in Morey-Saint-Denis, and the intersection of Cistercian viticultural heritage with modern biodynamic practice.

• One of only seven Grand Cru Monopoles in France; one of five in Burgundy and the largest at 7.53 hectares.
• The 2017 acquisition at a reported €200 million set a record for single-vineyard transactions at the time.
• 1945 vintage bottles sold at Christie's June 2024 for £43,750, approximately 14 times pre-sale estimate.
• Reference estate for Morey-Saint-Denis Grand Cru AOC, Cistercian viticultural heritage, and biodynamic conversion in Burgundy.