Clos des Grandes Vignes

Clos des Grandes Vignes sits within the commune of Premeaux-Prissey at the southern end of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. Its most defining geographical quirk is its position below the D974 road, making it the only Premier Cru in the entire Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation to occupy this lower ground. The vineyard faces southeast at an elevation of 230 to 240 meters, providing adequate sun exposure despite its position away from the main slope. The continental climate of the Côte de Nuits governs the site, with cold winters and warm, dry summers shaping the growing season.

• Commune: Premeaux-Prissey, southern Nuits-Saint-Georges
• Elevation: 230-240 meters on a southeast-facing slope
• Only NSG Premier Cru located below the D974 road
• Continental climate with classic Côte de Nuits growing conditions

The vineyard's soils are argilo-calcaire ferrugineux, a clay-limestone mix rich in iron, sitting over a limestone bedrock interspersed with sand. This iron content contributes to the vineyard's distinctive character, lending a certain earthiness and structure to the red wines in particular. The 2.21 hectares are planted to Pinot Noir for red wine production, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc for the whites. Chardonnay was replanted in 2009, meaning those vines are still relatively young by Burgundian standards.

• Iron-rich clay-limestone (argilo-calcaire ferrugineux) over limestone and sand
• Pinot Noir dominates for red wine production
• Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc planted for white wine production
• Chardonnay block replanted in 2009

The Clos des Grandes Vignes has passed through several notable Burgundian hands over the past four decades. Domaine Thomas-Moillard purchased the vineyard in 1982, establishing it as a serious estate-produced cuvée. Château de Puligny-Montrachet acquired it in 2005 or 2006, bringing a white-wine-focused perspective to the site given that house's roots in the Côte de Beaune. The current owner, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, purchased the clos in July 2012 for 3 million euros, cementing its place within one of Nuits-Saint-Georges's most prestigious domaines. This lineage of ownership reflects the vineyard's standing as a genuinely coveted parcel despite its unorthodox position below the road.

• 1982: Purchased by Domaine Thomas-Moillard
• 2005-2006: Acquired by Château de Puligny-Montrachet
• July 2012: Purchased by Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair for 3 million euros
• Currently operates as a monopole under Liger-Belair

Red wines from Clos des Grandes Vignes show herbal and brambly overtones alongside fine tannins, a profile that reflects both the iron-rich soils and the lower-slope position of the vineyard. These are not the most powerfully structured expressions of Nuits-Saint-Georges, but they offer genuine complexity and a distinctly savory edge. White wines are produced from the Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc plantings, adding an unusual dimension to what is primarily red wine territory. The combination of grape varieties and the site's unique geology makes this one of the more interesting and unconventional crus in the appellation.

• Reds show herbal, brambly fruit with fine tannins
• Iron-rich soils contribute an earthy, savory character
• White wines produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc
• Style is nuanced rather than overtly powerful