Devauges leaves Clos de Tart

Jacques Devauges is leaving his position as winemaker at Clos de Tart after just one year under the new management, it has been reported.

Devauges will be replaced by Alessandro Noli, currently head winemaker at Château Grillet, on 1 March.

Clos de Tart was bought by François Pinault, one of France’s richest men, from the Mommessin family in late October 2017 for a rumoured €250+ million.

Devauges’ tenure with the estate has therefore lasted just over one year.

His replacement, Noli, is being drafted in from Grillet which is one of Pinault’s other properties in his wine portfolio, the major one being Bordeaux first growth Château Latour.

As reported by La Revue du Vin de France, given Devauges’ track record at the monopole since he took over full time from Sylvain Pitiot in 2015, if he is not leaving voluntarily then it is unlikely to be because of his technical skills that he is on his way.

More likely, as so often in new businesses, Pinault is bringing in someone he knows in order to put his own stamp on the wines and the label.