Clos rocs 2023

It's official. Premier Cru recognition has finally arrived in Pouilly-Loché, and for Olivier Giroux of Domaine Clos des Rocs, it's the culmination of years spent fighting for this little corner of Burgundy. Beginning with the 2024 vintage, Les Mûres and his Clos des Rocs monopole, have earned the right to be labeled as Premier Cru. And while the classification may be new, the quality of these wines certainly isn't.

I've been buying Olivier's wines since 2015, and I remember spending an afternoon with him a few years ago, where we tasted every wine he had produced. We walked through the vines, listening to him talk about the land, it was hard not to get caught up in his conviction. He knew what he had beneath his feet. The wines had been making the argument for years, but convincing the powers that be in Burgundy was another matter entirely. As the mayor of Pouilly-Loche he lead the fight for the 1er cru designation.

Well, they finally listened.

Clos des Rocs is just three hectares, but there's an extraordinary amount of character packed into this little vineyard. Chardonnay vines, a good percentage of which are 50+ years, are rooted in a thin layer of red clay over limestone. There's not much soil between the vines and the rock, and you can sense that in the wine. What emerges is a Chardonnay that manages to be both expansive and finely etched, with the kind of mineral persistence and quiet intensity I'd expect from the finest vineyards of the Côte de Beaune. The 2023 carries the generosity of the vintage without sacrificing that unmistakable character. It's the kind of Chardonnay, I’m always looking for and judging by the response over the last 10 years many of you also share my belief in this tiny appellation.

I'm pleased to have secured a generous allocation of the 2023 Clos des Rocs Monopole, which marks the last vintage before its elevation to Premier Cru status. The 2024 has already seen a price increase, making this our final opportunity to offer the wine at its pre-Premier Cru pricing. With the recognition Olivier worked so hard to achieve now in place, I suspect the days of Clos des Rocs flying under the radar are coming to an end.

For now, we're offering the 2023 at $42. Those of you who've been following Olivier's wines over the years already know what remarkable value they represent. And for those who haven't, I can't think of a better time to discover them. This is one I'd strongly encourage you to put away while the opportunity is still here.