One could easily be forgiven for missing Bruno Clavelier’s property at the southern edge of Vosne-Romanée. With no sign and in a building that looks much the same as the others along Route Nationale, it is a “blink-and-you-will-miss it” affair. While the cellar may be relatively small and unassuming, the wines crafted there are anything but. Lissome, pure, and graced with remarkable structure and range, it is undeniable that Domaine Bruno Clavelier has artfully captured the very best of Vosne-Romanée.
Bruno’s path to winemaking wasn’t as straightforward as many in Burgundy, and in his earlier years he played rugby at the professional level. Thankfully for us, he eventually chose the vineyards over the pitch. Despite being as genial and welcoming as they come, there is something about this former baller’s stance that leaves you with the uneasy feeling that you are facing down a scrum and about to be tackled at any moment. He possesses an understated intensity, a characteristic reflected in his wines.
Bruno’s approach to winemaking is rooted in a deep understanding of the soils from which the wines are born. The Clavelier family has been growing grapes in the region for five generations and it is evident in speaking with Bruno that tomes of knowledge have passed from one generation to the next. This is perhaps best characterized in Bruno’s reminiscence of his grandfather, Joseph Brosson. Dedicated and uncompromising, Joseph would log countless hours among the vines, so many in fact, that locals started to call him “Tarzan.” While others were at church taking communion and listening to Sunday Mass, Joseph was alone among the rows of Pinot Noir, breaking down rocks with nothing more than a pickaxe and raw determination. While he may have lost some fingers along the way, he was overall none the worse for wear. Much like the medieval Benedictine monks who originally tilled the vineyards, Joseph took a keen interest in the soils and substructure that fed the vines. From the white oolite of Les Hauts de Beaux Monts to the silica-rich limestone of La Combe Brulée, soil composition is the foundation upon which all wines are built; knowing the soil and its makeup informs all wine making decisions both in the vineyard and in the cellar.
In his tasting room, Bruno displays an impressive collection of rocks and stones pulled from his vineyards. These are not mere props, rather they are examples used to better understand the land and the environment the vines inhabit. By tailoring his winemaking to highlight the characteristics of each individual terroir, Bruno has developed a distinctive style. Across the portfolio, the reds are lightly colored, giving off a modest scarlet hue that belies their striking structure and complexity. These are contemplative wines that draw you back to the glass, with each return offering a new set of scents, flavors, and textures. They are the kinds of wines that inspire critics and connoisseurs to wax poetic, as they approach that perfect balance between pleasure and intellect.
While assessing his impeccably well-made 2023s on our recent visit, the conversation turned to the topic of taste. Bruno noted that apples and raspberries share multiple flavor compounds yet how individuals experience those compounds can vary dramatically. Put simply, one person’s apple could be another person’s raspberry. This, of course, holds true when tasting wine and is even further complicated when considering that these flavor profiles are constantly changing over time. Not only is taste highly subjective it is also markedly influenced by context. So, what is a winemaker to do? Bruno’s answer is to do the best he can to capture the uniqueness of terroir. To do this one must pay close attention to the vine and how it interacts with its environment. Employing biodynamic practices is but one of many tactics used to allow the earth to speak through the wine
For those who enjoy Burgundy at its most crystalline and pure, Bruno Clavelier’s stellar line up is a surefire win. Every bit as brilliant as the 2023s, the 2022 vintage has just arrived in our California warehouse and is ready for shipping.
–Jim Bradshaw, Martine’s Wines Director of Operations
