PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Clos Charlé sits alone. It is the only parcel in the northern reaches of the Givry appellation that Gautier Desvignes works with — a deliberate geographic outlier in a portfolio otherwise concentrated in the softer, white-marl soils to the south. The soils here are entirely different: "terres rouges," locally named for their high iron oxide content, a terroir specifically suited to Pinot Noir and one that Guide Hachette has singled out as "one of the appellation's finest jewels" across multiple editions, praising vintages for their "proud and complete" character and genuine cellaring potential. Classified Premier Cru in 1988, Clos Charlé has quietly built one of the most consistent reputations of any single vineyard in Givry.
Gautier Desvignes — the fifth generation to run his family's estate, founded in 1870 with cellars dating to the 17th century — has made this specific parcel one of the clearest demonstrations of just how far his terroir can be pushed. William Kelley of The Wine Advocate awarded the 2017 vintage 92 Points, finding "cassis and cherries" of genuine depth, and Wine-Searcher's aggregate across recent vintages runs a consistently strong 89 to 93 points. Ansonia Wines, tasting the adjacent 2022 vintage, called it "detailed and sophisticated — higher toned and with more chiseled detail than his other premier crus," describing peony, wild cherries, and a delicate stoniness on the nose, with a darker mouth that retains vibrant minerality alongside inky fruit.
The vines behind the 2023 average 40 years of age, planted directly into the iron-rich soil that gives this wine its characteristic energy. Hand-harvested with rigorous selective sorting, 100% destemmed, and vinified without added sulfur (with only reasonable sulfiting at bottling), the wine ages 12 months in French oak barrels before six further months homogenizing in tank. The result, across vintages, is bright ruby in color, with a pure, floral nose carrying wild blackberry and raspberry alongside a mild spiciness of ginger and clove, discreet oak in the background. Medium weight on the palate, with a nice density of fresh, vibrant, juicy berry fruit, really silky tannin, a fresh backbone, and a long, succulent, genuinely drinkable finish. This is Gautier Desvignes at his most terroir-specific — the wine that shows exactly how far his corner of the Côte Chalonnaise can go.
Domaine Desvignes has farmed in Givry since 1870, with cellars dating to the 17th century, now run by Gautier Desvignes — the fifth generation of his family, who took over in 2016 and has since transformed a historically overlooked estate into one of the Côte Chalonnaise's most closely watched addresses. Vinous's Neal Martin has called Gautier's wines "really quite superb," and William Kelley of The Wine Advocate has specifically flagged the domaine as "very much a Côte Chalonnaise address to watch," advising importers to "beat a path to his door." Since taking over, Gautier has installed a gravity-fed winemaking process, built new barrel rooms, updated bottling practices, refined the viticulture, and begun selectively replanting parcels across the domaine's roughly 10 to 11 hectares, farmed under a philosophy of reasoned, environmentally respectful cultivation.
Clos Charlé sits to the north of the village of Givry — the only parcel in that part of the appellation that Gautier works with. The soils here diverge sharply from the white marls found to the south: "terres rouges," rich in iron oxide, a terroir specifically well suited to Pinot Noir and one that produces notably expressive, structurally serious wines. The vineyard was classified Premier Cru in 1988, and Guide Hachette has repeatedly singled it out across editions as one of the finest expressions of the appellation. The vines behind this bottling average 40 years of age. Harvest is entirely by hand, with rigorous selective sorting to retain only the best bunches; red grapes are generally 100% destemmed. Vinification proceeds without added sulfur, with only reasonable sulfiting applied at bottling. The wine ages 12 months in oak barrels before being homogenized in tank for a further 6 months prior to bottling.
No numerical critic score is confirmed for the 2023 vintage at this time. For historical and house-style context, across recent vintages of this exact cuvée:
William Kelley, The Wine Advocate — 92 Points (2017 vintage):
"Cassis and cherries..." (full note behind subscription)
Wine-Searcher aggregate — 91/100 (all vintages); individual vintages: 2021: 91 · 2020: 89 · 2019: 93 · 2018: 90 · 2017: 92
Ansonia Wines (2022 vintage, house style context):
"Givry 1er cru 'Clos Charlé' is detailed and sophisticated — higher toned and with more chiseled detail than his other premier crus. It's particularly good in 2022, and easily worth the upgrade from the village. The nose shows peony, wild cherries, and a delicate stoniness. The mouth is darker but retains a vibrant minerality alongside the inky fruit."
Andreas Larsson (2017 vintage, house style context):
"Bright medium deep ruby colour. Pure nose, floral with wild berry notes fresh blackberry and raspberry with a mild spiciness, ginger, clove, discreet oak. The palate has medium weight with a nice density of fruit, fresh and vibrant with juicy berry notes, really silky tannin, a fresh backbone and a long succulent finish. Really nice drinkability."
Guide Hachette des Vins (house style, multiple editions):
"Un des fleurons de l'appellation... Un vin fier et complet, typé givry, et avec un beau potentiel." (One of the appellation's finest jewels... A proud and complete wine, typical of Givry, with fine potential.)
Nose
Bright medium-deep ruby color. A pure, floral nose opens with peony and wild cherries, alongside fresh blackberry and raspberry. A mild spiciness of ginger and clove threads through, with discreet oak and a delicate stoniness reflecting the iron-rich soil.
Palate
Medium weight, with a nice density of fruit — fresh, vibrant, and juicy, carrying darker, inkier berry character than Gautier's other Premier Cru bottlings. Really silky tannin and a fresh backbone give the wine genuine structure, while vibrant minerality runs throughout.
Finish
Long and succulent, with real drinkability despite the wine's underlying seriousness and structure. A finish that confirms genuine aging potential while remaining approachable in its youth.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Givry Premier Cru — Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France |
| Vineyard | Clos Charlé — north of Givry, the only parcel Gautier works there |
| Variety | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Producer | Domaine Desvignes |
| Founded | 1870 — cellars dating to the 17th century |
| Current Winemaker | Gautier Desvignes (5th generation, since 2016) |
| Vine Age | 40 years |
| Soils | "Terres rouges" — iron oxide-rich, distinct from southern white marls |
| Premier Cru Classification | 1988 |
| Farming | Reasoned cultivation, environmentally respectful |
| Harvest | Hand-picked, rigorously sorted, 100% destemmed |
| Vinification | No added sulfur; reasonable sulfiting at bottling |
| Aging | 12 months oak barrels + 6 months tank |
| Critical Recognition | William Kelley/Wine Advocate 92 (2017) · Wine-Searcher aggregate 89-93 across vintages · Guide Hachette "one of the appellation's finest" |
| Style / Identity | The domaine's most terroir-specific, structurally serious Premier Cru — detailed, chiseled, mineral |
| Aromas & Flavors | Peony, wild cherry, blackberry, raspberry, ginger, clove, discreet oak, stony minerality |
| Drinking Window | Now through 2032+ |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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