What is a ‘clos?
You’ll often see the word ‘clos’ mentioned on a wine label. A clos is a vineyard that is, or used to be, enclosed by walls (not always still standing). Often the word clos is used as a preposition on the label before the name of the parcel as in Clos Cristal (Saumur Champigny), Clos St André (a vineyard owned by Jeremie Mourat in the Fiefs Vendeens), Le Clos de la Meslerie (the Vouvray vineyards farmed by Peter Hahn just down the road from us) and Le Grand Clos in Bourgueil.
Are wines from enclosed vineyards better than other wines? Well, certainly in the past, only good vineyards would be walled. Think of the time and money that would have been required to erect a hand built wall around a small parcel of land a few hundred years ago. Significant and prestigious plots of land would be enclosed. In the past vineyards belonged to the church and were often walled. These days, it’s unusual to see newly planted vines in a walled enclosure although you may see a hedged parcel.
There are benefits and disadvantages of having an enclosed vineyard. It’s protected from wind and may be less prone to frost than more open vineyards but may also trap frost inside as there is no easy escape route and can also increase humidity making vines more disease prone.
A clos has its own climate that is unique to its location. Something that winemakers find attractive, particularly those trying to express a real sense of terroir or place in their wines.
If you see the word ‘clos’ on a label it isn’t a guarantee that the wine is excellent but it does mean it comes from a small parcel that was probably highly rated in the past. It could have existing walls or hedges or may just have visible signs that there was once a walled enclosure.
