Domaine Lafouge owned a substantial portion of the village lieu-dit, Rougeot, and recently acquired the rest of it from a neighboring producer in Auxey-Duresses. Fully east-facing, Maxine Lafouge describes it like “a garden” because the vines are so carefully tended. The iron rich, red limestone soil gives the clos its name. Forty-five-year-old vines along with the meticulous viticulture, soil, and exposure, help explain the wine’s grandeur. No ordinary “village” wine, Lafouge’s 2024 Clos de Rougeot leads with fabulous aromatics and then explodes on the palate. The energy of the vintage just amplifies its charms. For all its flavor, it is weightless and full of finesse. Why this plot is not classified as Premier Cru is inexplicable based on Lafouge’s renditions. There is not likely going to be much of it on these shores, but it is worth the search. If I find some, it is going into my cellar.
96 Michael Apstein – September 2, 2026