Corton Le Clos du Roi Grand Cru 2022 Domaine d'Ardhuy

Corton Grand Cru Le Clos du Roi 2022 from Domaine d'Ardhuy is the domaine's greatest red wine and one of the rarest bottles in their range, scored 94/100 by recent assessment. From the legendary Grand Cru terroir of the Corton hillside, it embodies the archetype of dense, elegant red wine with noble tannins. A wine of true character, and perhaps the most refined and graceful of all Cortons, with a history reaching back to the reign of Burgundy's Dukes.

Terroir and Royal History

The Clos du Roi carries absolute nobility in its name. In 1477, following the death of Charles the Bold, the last Duke of Burgundy, the vineyards of the Ducal Crown passed into the royal domain. Those held at Aloxe-Corton and Beaune became known as Clos du Roi, a name that has traversed centuries, laden with prestige and memory. Domaine d'Ardhuy's parcel covers 0.96 hectares on the upper slopes of Corton, between 300 and 320 metres elevation, on a steep south-east facing slope. The vines, half around fifty years old and half around thirty, root deeply in brown calcareous soil over late Bathonian bedrock, very well-drained, dry, rocky and warm, rich in iron oxides and lava. This singular terroir imposes intense hydrodynamic stress on the vine during growth and ripening, creating the concentrated, structured character and subtle spicy complexity that distinguishes Clos du Roi among all Cortons. Winemaking is precise and minimalist: hand-harvested, 100% destemmed, rapid fermentation start, natural extraction through punch-downs only, ageing for 15 to 18 months in oak from Bertranges and Tronçais forests with 50% new barrels, bottled without fining with light filtration only.

Tasting Profile

The colour is intense ruby with carmine reflections, clear and bright. The nose reveals striking purity and complexity: notes of peony, cherry and raspberry open with immediate elegance and clarity, before aromas of morello cherry, intense ripe fruit, perfectly integrated oak and subtle spice characteristic of the terroir emerge. The structure is deeply elegant, intense and profound, with palpable substance, rich juice and distinctive tannins. On the palate, in the generous 2022 vintage, the wine is solar and concentrated, with fleshy, profound matter carried by noble, well-wrapped tannins, fresh acidity well integrated bringing tension and length, and a long, spicy finish of remarkable persistence. The aging potential is considerable, best from 2027 onwards with twenty years or more ahead.

The Domaine

Domaine d'Ardhuy is a historic Burgundy property ideally situated at Corgoloin, between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. With over 125 years of history, the domaine today cultivates with rigour and passion one of the finest terroir mosaics in the region across nearly forty-two hectares, from Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot to the Premier Crus of Savigny-lès-Beaune. Run under certified organic farming, winemaking is minimalist, using indigenous yeasts, gentle extraction and tailored ageing to reveal each parcel's character without artifice.

Food Pairing

This Corton Grand Cru Le Clos du Roi pairs beautifully with grilled beef rib with wild mushrooms, roasted Bresse chicken with morels, game birds such as roasted partridge or woodcock, venison loin with wild berries or well-aged Époisses cheese. Decanting for two hours is essential in its youth. Served at 14 to 16°C, it will progressively reveal the full density, elegance and depth of a Côte de Beaune Grand Cru worthy of its royal heritage.