Named vineyard
Clos de la Roche
Identity card
Grand cruAOPRed
Burgundy › Côte de Nuits › Morey-Saint-Denis · Recognised on 8 December 1936
- Grand cru
- Premier cru
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- A red grand cru of about 14 ha (2008), in Morey-Saint-Denis only.
- A "clos" with no walls: the Clos de la Roche lieu-dit plus plots in six others.
- At most 42 hl/ha and at least 11.5% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
Red wine onlyPinot Noir
Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris (15% at most of the vines in each plot)
Only interplanted among the vines
Production rules
42
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
9,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least until 15 June after the harvest
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 68 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 12.5 % ABV across 64 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 76 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Lower half of the Côte, 270 to 300 m up
- Soils: Crinoidal limestone and marl; frost-split limestone above
- Soils: Thin red clays and silts, well drained
Wine style
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
4 November 2011
Cahier des charges homologué par le décret n° 2011-1451 du 4 novembre 2011, JORF du 8 novembre 2011. Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 8 décembre 1936.
Labelling terms
- The name may be followed by the words "grand cru"
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahiers des charges d'AOC publiés au BO-AGRI (décrets du 4 novembre 2011) — dont « Latricières-Chambertin », « Clos de la Roche » et « Vougeot »— Ministère de l'agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire — Bulletin officiel (BO-AGRI)
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Trade bodyFiches d'appellation des vins de Bourgogne (surfaces et récoltes)— Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB)
A red grand cru of Morey-Saint-Denis between 270 and 300 metres, on the lower half of the slope. Its delimited area is not confined to the lieu-dit that names it — which has no walls left, whatever the "clos" suggests — but takes in several neighbouring lieux-dits: about 14 hectares in 2008, large for a grand cru. The slope is gentle at the foot, over fractured limestone, and steeper above, on marl and limestone.
Mini-challenge
Clos de la Roche
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