Clos de Tart

Clos de Tart is a walled Grand Cru vineyard and wine estate in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France. It is located in the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis, on the slope immediately west of the village, with Bonnes Mares to the south and Clos des Lambrays to the north. The name's use of “Clos” reflects the vineyard's enclosure by a wall, a characteristic associated with many historic Burgundy sites. The property is notable for its status as a monopole: the entire recognized appellation is held by a single owner rather than being divided among multiple domaines. Clos de Tart is classified as an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine. Pinot Noir is the sole principal grape variety. Burgundy's Grand Cru rules permit limited use of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris as accessory grapes, but such blending is not normally used in practice for Clos de Tart. The appellation's rules also specify a base maximum yield of 35 hectoliters per hectare, a minimum planting density of 9,000 vines per hectare, and a minimum potential alcohol level of 11.5 percent. The property's documented history reaches back to the medieval period. In 1141, the vineyard was sold by the Maison Dieu in Brochon to the Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart. It remained associated with the abbey until the French Revolution, when ecclesiastical holdings were confiscated and subsequently sold. The Mommessin family acquired the property in 1932 and remained its owner when the Clos de Tart Grand Cru appellation was formally created in 1939, following the establishment of the first wave of Burgundy Grand Cru appellations in 1936 and 1937. The vineyard covered approximately 7.51 hectares in production in 2008. That year's reported output was 218 hectoliters, equivalent to roughly 29,000 bottles. Production volumes and wine characteristics vary by vintage, but the estate's identity is consistently tied to a single enclosed site, low-volume production, Pinot Noir, and the prestige of the Côte de Nuits Grand Cru hierarchy. In 2017, ownership transferred from the Mommessin family to the French holding company Groupe Artémis. The transaction price was not officially disclosed. Contemporary reports circulated an estimate of approximately €200 million, but that figure is not treated here as confirmed financial data. The acquisition placed Clos de Tart within an investment group with interests in luxury and premium consumer businesses while preserving the estate's identity as a Burgundian monopole. The estate remains an active producer and an internationally recognized reference point for fine Burgundy wine.

Clos de Tart is one of the historic enclosed vineyards of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. Its recorded history begins in 1141, when the site was transferred from the Maison Dieu in Brochon to the Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart. The religious community retained the property for centuries. During the French Revolution, church property was seized by the state and later sold, ending the vineyard's direct ownership by the nuns. The property was acquired by the Mommessin family in 1932. The family owned Clos de Tart during the period when Burgundy's modern appellation system was being established. Clos de Tart received its own AOC and Grand Cru designation in 1939, after the first group of Burgundy Grand Cru appellations had been defined in 1936 and 1937. Its monopole structure meant that the entire appellation remained under unified ownership, an unusual and valuable characteristic in Burgundy, where many celebrated climats are divided among numerous proprietors. Clos de Tart lies in Morey-Saint-Denis, in the Côte de Nuits, on the hillside west of the village. It borders Bonnes Mares to the south and Clos des Lambrays to the north. The vineyard is enclosed by a wall and is planted principally, and in practice exclusively, with Pinot Noir for its Grand Cru red wine. The appellation rules permit a small proportion of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris as accessory varieties, although this allowance is generally not used in the production of Burgundy Grand Cru wines from the site. A 2008 production reference recorded 7.51 hectares in production, yielding 218 hectoliters, or about 29,000 bottles. These figures illustrate the estate's limited scale relative to mass-market wine producers. Its value rests on the combination of a defined historic site, Grand Cru status, restricted production, and the reputation of Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir. In 2017, Groupe Artémis acquired Clos de Tart from the Mommessin family. The reported transaction value was never officially confirmed, although estimates of about €200 million appeared in contemporary coverage. The purchase transferred ownership to a French holding company while retaining the property as a single estate and monopole. Clos de Tart continues to operate as an active Burgundy wine property and remains positioned at the highest end of the international fine-wine market.

• 2017

  Acquisition by Groupe Artémis

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  Groupe Artémis purchased the monopole from the Mommessin family, becoming its owner.

• 2008

  Recorded production reference

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  The vineyard had approximately 7.51 hectares in production and produced 218 hectoliters, equivalent to about 29,000 bottles.

• 1939

  Clos de Tart AOC established

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  The Clos de Tart Appellation d'origine contrôlée was created as a Grand Cru designation for red wine.

• 1932

  Acquisition by the Mommessin family

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  The Mommessin family acquired Clos de Tart and later held it when the vineyard received its modern Grand Cru appellation.

• 1789

  Revolutionary confiscation and sale

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  During the French Revolution, the property was taken into state control and subsequently sold.

• Transfer to the nuns of Notre Dame de Tart

  [1]Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org

  The vineyard was sold by the Maison Dieu in Brochon to the Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart, beginning its documented ecclesiastical ownership period.

Ultra-premium Burgundy Grand Cru monopole estate

• Grand Cru red wine

  Clos de Tart Grand Cru

  The estate's defining offering is red Burgundy made from Pinot Noir grown within the Clos de Tart monopole in Morey-Saint-Denis. The wine is produced under Grand Cru appellation rules and expresses the identity of a single enclosed vineyard rather than a blend of separately owned sites. Production is limited by the estate's small surface area and Burgundy's regulated yield framework. The wine is positioned for the international fine-wine market and is associated with long-term cellaring and the prestige of Côte de Nuits Grand Cru.

• 2017

  Transfer of ownership to Groupe ArtémisM&A

  Background

  Clos de Tart had been owned by the Mommessin family since 1932 and remained a single-owner Grand Cru monopole. Groupe Artémis acquired the property in 2017.

  Action taken

  Groupe Artémis purchased the entire Clos de Tart estate from the Mommessin family. The official purchase price was not disclosed.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition changed the estate's ownership while preserving its monopole structure and identity as an active Burgundy Grand Cru producer. Publicly circulated estimates of approximately €200 million were not officially confirmed.

  Source

1. 1Clos de Tarten.wikipedia.org