CHÂTEAU DE LA TOUR
2023 VINTAGE EN PRIMEUR
EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UK AND SINGAPORE
A FAMILY BUSINESS
Established in 1890, Château de la Tour is the largest proprietor of the Clos de Vougeot. It arguably offers the most complete expression of the Clos.
The domaine’s 5.5 hectares equate to 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.
François has been president of the Vins de Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) since 2015 and was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 2019 for his long service to the region. His son Édouard has become an equally prominent and engaging face of the domaine in recent years. The highly regarded Sylvain Pataille is the family’s longstanding consultant winemaker.
Aaran Eccles, Adam Ketteringham and I tasted the 2023s with François at Château de la Tour in November 2024. We tasted from barrel, which offered a complete overview of the parcel-by-parcel approach to these wines.
There is no lack of natural power in the Clos de Vougeot. The name of the game is harnessing and tempering that power, without in any way diminishing it. It is a game that the Labet family play brilliantly — these 2023s show their special terroir through a prism of spicy elegance.
It is worth noting that there is no Hommage in 2023, so the Vieilles Vignes includes the oldest and most concentrated fruit that would otherwise have gone into the top cuvée.
Corney & Barrow is the exclusive agent for Château de la Tour and sister property Domaine Pierre Labet in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
GUY SEDDON HEAD OF FINE WINE BUYING February 2025
Édouard & François Labet
Photo credit: Bénédicte Manière
THE 2023 VINTAGE, IN THE WORDS OF ÉDOUARD LABET
“This 2023 vintage required a great deal of attention in the vineyards and a lot of hard work from our entire team. With their help, we were able to produce a vintage that was generous in quantity, but also of very fine quality.”
First and foremost, there was no frost in 2023! Temperatures dropped in April, but without causing any damage. The month of May was just as complicated, with rainy and cool conditions. It was particularly difficult to manage treatments and grass cover in the vines.
The end of May, June and early July were ideal, with high but not excessive temperatures, plenty of sunshine and ideal rainfall (which I personally hadn't experienced since I came back to the estate in 2018).
The bunches developed generously, and the volume of the harvest was promising; despite the estate's strict pruning and debudding policy, we carried out a light green harvest at the beginning of July, which enabled us to achieve perfect ripeness at harvest time. It was, I think, a key moment in the season.
The second half of July was very complicated: cool, rainy conditions and very little light, which contrasted with scorching Mediterranean temperatures. August then followed the same pattern, with conditions alternating
between rain and fine weather, accelerating the vines’ growth.
Late August and early September saw the arrival of a heatwave (30-35°C) that remained throughout the harvest. This undeniably contributed to grape ripening and provided a sunny backdrop that had been lacking until then.
Harvest in the Clos de Vougeot started on Saturday 9th September with the old vines. Despite the surprisingly healthy state of the grapes, given the amount of water they received throughout the season, sorting was extremely selective.
The sunny days preceding the harvest prompted us to be vigilant during vinification: 2023 was finally shaping up to be a powerful vintage, and we didn’t want to bring back over-extraction, bitterness and austerity.
Cap punching was delicate — done barefoot, as always — following the rhythm imposed by the wines. Vatting was rapid, lasting between 12 and 15 days.
THE VINES
The majority of the vines are grouped in two parcels close to the château, with a smaller holding higher on the slope, bordering Échézeaux.
The vines have an average age of nearly 70 years, with a one-hectare plot planted in 1910 at their heart. The domaine has been organic since 1992.
Yields are controlled by rubbing out every second bud, which gives a well-aerated canopy and which François and chef de culture Cyril Beutot prefer to green harvesting. (As noted above, the potential volume of the 2023 crop demanded a light green harvest in addition).
THE CELLAR
Sorting with secateurs takes place once the grapes arrive from the vineyards, with whole bunches loaded into the fermentation vats and then cooled to around 6°C for a week.
Fermentation starts spontaneously, following which a maximum temperature of 29°C is maintained. Once fermentation ends, the wine is racked immediately into barrel to avoid any astringency in these most robust of Pinot Noirs.
Ten micro-cuvées are made in total, of which seven go into the Cuvée Classique, two into the Vieilles Vignes and, when it is made, one into the Hommage. Around a third new oak is used for the Cuvée Classique and Vieilles Vignes, the proportion having decreased over recent years.
THE WINES
CLOS-VOUGEOT, GRAND CRU CUVÉE CLASSIQUE
The Cuvée Classique comes from mainly old vines on the upper slopes of the Clos de Vougeot. We tasted a blend of cuvée 7 and cuvée 3 at the domaine in November 2024. Aromas of pure blackberry, bitter cherry, cranberry, liquorice and dark chocolate. The palate is cool and focussed, the powerful dark berry fruit enlivened by vibrant, fresh raspberries and delineated by pretty spices. Sappy tension binds the flavours together. Ferrous and salty on the long, exotically spiced finish. A beautiful combination of power and finesse. 70% whole-bunch fermentation. 35% new oak. 13.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2040
£995/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
£1,005/CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK
£710/ CASE OF 1 JEROBOAM, IN BOND UK
CLOS-VOUGEOT, GRAND CRU VIEILLES VIGNES
The Vieilles Vignes is a selection from the old vines (over 70 years old) in the domaine’s two main parcels, including the 1910 plot at its heart. Aromas of pure dark berries, exotic spices, fresh mint leaves, white pepper and dried roses. The palate is poised on the attack, an immediate sappy tension holding the dark and red berry flavours in a sort of surface tension. The tactile, dark old vine fruit is compressed and powerful, framed by fine yet powerful tannins and lifted by what I called ‘blueberry and violet energy’. Salty minerality lingers on the long finish. 70% whole-bunch fermentation, with just over a third new oak. 13.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2031 - 2045
£1,550/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
£1,560/CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK
£1,085/ CASE OF 1 JEROBOAM, IN BOND UK
DOMAINE PIERRE LABET
In addition to Château de la Tour, François and Édouard Labet own parcels in Beaune, Meursault and Gevrey-Chambertin.
These wines, bottled under the name Domaine Pierre Labet, are also produced organically, and although François and Édouard have an operational base in Beaune, élevage takes place in Château de la Tour’s cellars.
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY VIEILLES VIGNES
The domaine’s whites are acidity-focussed, the goal being to pick Chardonnay grapes with a sense of freshness. François and Édouard’s Bourgogne Chardonnay comes from the Côte d’Or, from two plots in Chorey-LèsBeaune and Beaune. Spicy and textured, with energy and stony-mineral purity. This delivers brilliantly. Vinified and matured in large 350 litre barrels.
Corney & Barrow Score 17
Recommended drinking from 2025 - 2028
£230/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
SAVIGNY 1ER CRU VERGELESSES
This comes from one plot of less than half a hectare, opposite the village of Pernand-Vergelesses, on the other side of the combe. It was replanted in 2019 using massal selection and drought-resistant rootstocks. These are therefore young vines, planted on limestone-rich marl soils, with iron and clay. “One of the favourites of the house,” according to François. Flinty and peppery, with well-defined peach and pear fruit aromas. The palate is fresh and zippy, with a clipped precision to the finish. Vinified and aged in a mixture of large 350 and 450 litre barrels.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5
Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2030
£355/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BEAUNE BLANC CLOS DU DESSUS DES MARCONNETS
This plot borders Savigny, at the beginning of the wooded Montagne de Beaune. A wine of bright, sheeny white peach fruit and lively lime zest. There is a winning upbeat freshness here. This will receive 18 months’ élevage in 350 and 450 litre barrels, 30% new oak, followed by four months in tank prior to bottling.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2030
£325/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
MEURSAULT CLOS DES TILLETS
This was renamed Clos des Tillets from the 2022 vintage. Although Tillets sits in the middle of the commune, François describes it as “more Puligny than Meursault” in character. Les Tillets’ white marl soils tend to result in admirably textured wines. Yellow flower perfume, orange zest and fleshy white peach fruit. Around three-quarters are fermented and aged in larger 350 litre barrels. 35% new oak.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2031
£365/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR VIEILLES VIGNES
François and Édouard’s Bourgogne Rouge is all about the lush Pinot fruit and delicate exotic spices of its whole-bunch vinification. It comes from three plots in Chorey-Lès-Beaune, which has more clay than on the Côte. Beautiful spices on the nose — this jumps out of the glass. The palate is medium bodied and sappy, combining joyful raspberry fruit and pretty spices. Two-thirds whole-bunch fermentation. 25% new oak.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5
Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2030
£230/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BEAUNE 1ER CRU CLOS DE COUCHERIAS
The Labets have two hectares in Coucherias, planted to both Pinot and Chardonnay. 1er Cru Coucherias is in the centre of the Beaune appellation, on the high slopes above Teurons, looking down on the city. It is a warm, south-facing site just beneath the forest. Pure dark berry fruit and soaring aromatics — mint, peony and bitter chocolate. The palate is crystalline and clipped, with just the right amount of richness. Pure and precise, framed by fine, silky tannins. A wine of pretty aromas and crystalline fruit. Two-thirds whole-bunch fermentation. 30% new oak.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2032
£365/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BEAUNE CLOS DU DESSUS DES MARCONNETS
Dessus des Marconnets is at the northern end of Beaune, on the boundary with Savigny, beneath the Montagne de Beaune. Blackberries with bramble and playful wholebunch spices. The medium bodied palate is spicy and raspberry fruited. A third new oak. 70% whole-bunch fermentation.
Corney & Barrow Score 17
Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2032
£325/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN VIEILLES VIGNES
Vieilles Vignes here means well over 60 years of age. The domaine’s Gevrey village is made from three lieux-dits, which are co-vinified: La Justice (northeast), Les Crais (southeast) and La Jouise (southwest, just below MazyChambertin), totalling just 0.6 hectares. Dark minerally spices with pure, rich, dark berry fruit. François tasted this with a soft “wow — almost ready to be bottled.” Elegant and with the playful aromatic stamp of the domaine. 35% new oak, with two-thirds whole-bunch fermentation.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2028 – 2038
£375/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
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