Burgundy Unpicked: 2024 Château de la Tour

In this episode, Joe and Guy are joined by René to discuss the 2024 vintage en primeur release of Château de la Tour.Established in 1890, Château de la Tour is the largest proprietor of the Clos de Vougeot. This may just be the most complete expression of the mighty Clos, as the the domaine’s 5.5 hectares represent 11% of the appellation. The château itself is one of only three buildings in the Clos de Vougeot. The domaine was passed down from François Labet’s mother’s family. Today, it is run by father and son team François and Édouard.Château de la Tour lost an awful 60% of its crop in 2024. The final yield, after two lots of sorting, was just 19hl/ha. Whole-bunch fermentation was kept to a maximum of 20%. Fortunately, there is no lack of natural power in the Clos de Vougeot and in 2024, that power has been rendered rather wonderfully into a sweet-fruited approachability and a suppleness of expression that allows the terroir character full visibility.