Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 02/05/2011
The 2008 Clos de Tart is all class and elegance. It boasts fabulous inner perfume and endless layers of fruit. The nuance, purity and sheer breed are breathtaking. The 2008 shut down quickly in the glass, but not before leaving a lasting impression. The tannins possess incredible elegance, but that may not be fully apparent for a number of years. This is a gorgeous wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2043.

The 2008 Clos de Tart is all class and elegance. It boasts fabulous inner perfume and endless layers of fruit. The nuance, purity and sheer breed are breathtaking. The 2008 shut down quickly in the glass, but not before leaving a lasting impression. The tannins possess incredible elegance, but that may not be fully apparent for a number of years. This is a gorgeous wine in every way.

From its dark colour and primary cherry aromas, you might guess this was younger wine than seven-and-a-half years old.  The wine’s personality seems a little taut and reserved at first, but with air it blossoms and opens.  Magnificent density and concentration after a while, predicated on thrilling acidity but with neat tannin stitching to the fruit, too.  A great success for the vintage.

Bright ruby-red. Pungent aromas of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, violet and peppery spices. Silky and supple but youthfully closed, with the wine's superb inner-palate energy currently suppressing its complexity. This wonderfully nuanced wine struck me as a blend of Cote-Rotie-like game, violet and pepper with juicy pinot fruits and spices. Finishes with substantial but sweet tannins, very firm structure and terrific length. There's a lot going on here, but the wine's tightly coiled spring will require 10 to 15 years to unwind.

The 2008 Clos de Tart Grand Cru showed well six years ago, but I must confess that this bottle showed a lot of Brettanomyces on the nose, which obscured the fruit and terroir expression. The palate is concentrated and uncharacteristically dense for a 2008, punchy and muscular, missing finesse and very savory on the finish. It's difficult to see where this Clos de Tart is heading, and I reduced my score from six years ago.