Clos de la Roche AOC

Grand Cru site in the municipality of Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte d'Or area (Burgundy). To the north, the area borders the Premier Cru site Aux Combottes of Gevrey-Chambertin, with Clos Saint-Denis to the south. The site was classified as a Grand Cru in 1936, and the Genavrières site was added in 1971. The east-facing vineyards at 270 to 300 metres above sea level cover around 17 hectares of vines on brown, chalky soil that is only 30 centimetres thick in places. Underneath are large pieces of rock (roches), from which the name of the site is derived. Although the Clos indicates that the vineyards were enclosed by walls, this probably never happened.

In addition to the historic Clos de la Roche (4.6 ha), the site also includes the Climats(parcels) Monts-Luisants-Bas (3.7 ha), Les Mochamps (2.6 ha), Les Chabiots, Les Fremières and Les Froichots. It consists of 110 plots shared by around 40 owners. The predominantly continental climate is characterised by mostly dry and hot summers. The extremely long-lasting red wine is made almost exclusively from Pinot Noir. However, the varieties Pinot Beurot (a mutation of Pinot Gris) and Pinot Liébault are also authorised, and theoretically up to 15% Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc could also be used. Well-known producers are Amiot, Dujac, Domaine Leroy, Hospices de Beaune, Lignier, Domaine Ponsot and Rousseau.