Anybody ever saw such a bottling?
I´ve often seen the different spelling of Parantoux and Perentoux in some books, so this wouldn´t be a reason to asume a fake …
never. Strange. With only two producers–Meo and now Rouget–should be easy to get the back story.
Domaine Meo-Camuzet started only in 1988 …
Rougeot bottled his own Cros-Parantoux even later (I guess), so the only producer in 1982 was Henri Jayer …
But it is definitely possible that he either sold a barrel (which would make this a Jayer-vinified wine) - or he sold some grapes - then it is a simple negociant product …
![[shrug.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/4/48636ebda2a440a43ad8d24c83be20ac20c53420.gif "shrug"){kind=small}
I realize that Meo took back their part of the one hectare CP vineyard in 88 but Jean Nicholas may know the back story since Jayer worked some of the Meo holdings.
On the bottle one sees “Les Parentoux” and not “Cros Parantoux”
it could be as Gerhard says wine coming from the vicinity and for which the négociant created a name “Les Parentoux”.
François,
of course you are right, but I´ve seen this different spelling quoted in several wine books on Burgundy … and it could easily been used for creation of this label …
The label stated explicitely 1er cru Vosne-Romanée - so fruit from a different plot (no matter how close) would certainly be illegal …
(and if it´s not illegal or a fake it must be fruit or wine from Jayer´s vineyard)
This is already discussed overhere.
Btw it is my bottle.
This is a better picture of the label
emailed and asked the domaine, still extant.
Hi Gerard,
I have five of these, from the same vintage. I’ve done a bit of research but have not come any closer to the story. Desvignes are unable to say anything about the bottle, but the negociant has changed hands (several times?) since 1982, so that’s not surprising (I have emailed them twice and not got particularly intelligible replies). I have drunk one of the bottles and it really was a very good wine indeed. Certainly from a top Vosne vineyard, though I can of course not be certain that it’s from Cros Parantoux. However, the vineyard did not yet have its current monumental reputation in the early 1980s, so it would have been a bit of an odd thing to label the wine ‘illegally’ like this. It clearly says “1ere cru”, so why specify this vineyard (over another more famous name) unless it was genuine? My guess would be that they bought a barrel of Jayer-made wine from the Meo allocation. I doubt it’s from purchased grapes - it clearly says “eleve et mise en bouteille par” on the label and, although a generic negociant text that they probably have on all their labels, I imagine it’s correct.
A few more things: I have only ever seen Desvignes Vosne Romanee Les Parentoux from 1982 (not from any other vintages). In fact, a lot Desvignes wines that come up here and there at auction are 1982s, so I expect they made a big investment that year (probably quite reasonably given the debatable quality of the vintage). Desvignes Aine et Flis actually also produced a village level Vosne Romanee in 1982. If they were illegally labelling the wines, why only do it to some of their Vosne Romanees?
I have two further bottles from Desvignes from 1982. A Volnay (I had two and drank one alongside the “Les Parentoux” - it was also very good!) and a Gevrey-Chambertin. I know they also produced Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens and a 1982 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fonteny, as well as a village level Chambolle Musigny (I saw these at an auction but now but can’t find pictures of them). I guess a good way to get an indication of whether the bottle you refer to is genuine is to compare the capsule with that of another of Desvignes wine from 1982 (the three wines I have all have identical capsules).
Finally, I have seen a few more of these pop up at auction over the last year or so (I bought mine just over two years ago) so there is of course a chance that someone has taken a look at the thread below, on which we discussed this wine on a while back, and is producing fakes. Though I would doubt it given the relatively reasonable prices the bottles have gone for.
Personally I have no doubt about such a wine.
One can ask question about what it is, but not doubt of the genuineness of the wine.
I have 1985 Meo-Camuzet Cros Parantoux and have had several other Meo-Camuzet from 1985. And Allen Meadows reviews the 85’s.
From my understanding Jayer bottled it for the first time in '78, while Meo-Camuzet’s first (filtered) bottling was the 1985 vintage (still made by Jayer, I believe, until 1988). What happened to the Meo share (roughly 3/10, or 3-4 barrels, of the wine) from '78 to '85 is, as far as I’m aware, not fully known. Some think that Jayer bottled it all, but other believe that it may have been sold off to negociants. This bottle (and its brothers and sisters elsewhere) suggest that the latter, at least in part, must be the case.
From looking at the Desvignes bottles these also appear to be filtered by the way.
And that '85 sounds like a treat!
Eric, Etienne, François,
thanks for the valuable information.
The 1982s actually seem to be genuine bottles …
However, the wine, if really vinified by Henri Jayer, has most probably been elevated and bottled by Desvignes … and one of the reasons for the magic of Henri was his art of elevation …
Reg. the 1985 Meo bottle: I doubt it has been bottled by Meo … most probably they didn´t have the facilities for that then … it may have been bottled by Henri - and only labelled by Meo …
(so in fact a Jayer-wine)
It’s unclear what happened with the Meo-Camuzet wines from 1978 to 1984 … Henri Jayer could have bottled the whole production, otherwise the Meo-Camuzet share was sold of to negociant.
Great article from Steen Öhman. very documented.
I recall seeing certain 1983 and 1984 Meo-Camuzet labeled wines at the Wine Reserve in Glendale just prior to the release of the 1985s. I bought a number of bottles of the 85 Meo-Camuzet VR Brulees, Parantoux, and the Clos Vougeot (the CV was a different Meo metayage agreement, I believe it was Faurie or Tardy) but did not purchase the earlier years. I specifically recall the 83 and 84 Meo Camuzet Clos Vougeots were available but cannot recall whether the Vosnes were available as well. All of those wines were imported by Martines Wines. They may have records on which Meos were sold in the early 80s. It wouldn’t surprise me to see an 82 VR Parantoux negotiant wine coming from Meo’s share of the wine made by Jayer. I would have no reason to doubt the bottle’s authenticity.
That´s interesting.
I´m quite sure these vintages 1983-1987 were neither made nor bottled by Meo … just labelled…
they might still have a stock … or had some in early 2000 …
All of those wines were imported by Martines Wines.
When? In the 80ies - or recently?