Region: Burgundy, France
Appellation: Marsannay
Type/Style: Red Wine
Grapes: Pinot Noir

Vine Age: Planted in 1950, 1970, 1973, and 1990
Terroir: On the slope above Marsannay, southeast-facing, 300m average altitude, rich clay soil with limestone rock deposits.
Viticulture: Sustainable, organic practices
Vinification: 30-50% whole cluster, ambient yeast fermentation in open wood vats with punch-downs. Aged 18-20 months in barrels (approx. 40% new). Short blending period in tank before bottling.

Etymology: lit. “Fat heads,” which refers to large outcroppings of bedrock. In French, the top of the bedrock is called the head.

Source: The Climats and Lieux-Dits of the Great Vineyards of Burgundy, Marie-Hélène Landrieu-Lussigny.

Site: Les Grasses Têtes is 8 hectares (19.8 acres). It stretches from the houses in the village all the way to the top of the slope, at 280 to 335-meters elevation. The slope is moderate, with a gradient of 10%. It faces east.

Soil: The soils of Les Grasses Têtes are constituted of dark red, iron-rich, water-retentive, heavy clay. They contain 20-25% angular gravel and small cobble that come from the nearby bedrock. There is a 15 cm deep topsoil horizon. Then, there is a 1 to 1.5-meter layer of soil mixed with huge boulders and laves originating from the bedrock (the “fat heads”).

Geology: The majority of the vineyard sits on the fossiliferous crinoidal limestone. However, Francoise Vannier has identified at least 4 distinct faults that cut across this vineyard. The upper portion of the vineyard sits on white oolite, and the lowest portion of the vineyard sits on Comblanchien limestone. Two faults that cut across the middle of the vineyard also reveal thin slivers of Ostrea acuminata marl.

Clair parcels: Bruno has multiple parcels scattered across the vineyard, totaling 2.02 hectares (5 acres). The vines were planted between 1969 and 1973.

The Wine: Grasses-Têtes is the most powerful of the Clair Marsannay lieux-dits, in both fruit and structure.

"Redolent of fig and black plum fruit aromas with a firmly mineral depth and a savoury edge, the 2022 Grasses Tetes from Bruno Clair boasts a texture that is dense and concentrated and among the most powerful single-climat wines in this cellar. The grapes come from several parcels of old vines that total 2.27 hectares scattered throughout the vineyard. More than 30% of the grapes were fermented as whole clusters, yet the wine retains a marvellous purity of fruit — superb.(CC)" - 94 Decanter

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