WB Burgundy Appellation Series Week 7: Vosne+

WINE TALK
21

Quite simply, I like M-G wines a whole lot more than these guys do and my leanings are much more to more elegantly styled producers. I pretty much disagree with these descriptions of the wines, but that is why we have wine boards.

22

Everytime one buys Mugneret-Gibourg a puppy is killed. The choice is yours.

23

WTF [scratch.gif]

24

Ok, maybe not.

25

Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee 2002 I bought this four years ago or so for tuppence, and have seen various ‘not much wine here’ notes since. Well, I’d say it has arrived. First opened and seemed no more than a good Bourgogne Rouge, but fresh, pure and pretty. Then with some air it picked up a little more gloss and richness: just a little bit, but enough to make it a much more satisfying wine. Some spice, sandy earth, mid red/blue fruit, but hard to place as Vosne to be honest. Really good and easy to drink, I killed this bottle over Sunday brunch with a friend in about 30 minutes. If you have 'em, crack one and see if you like it. I’d guess it will pick up more weight over the coming five years, but will lose some of its current freshness and precision. Delighted to have 11 more…

1 Like
26

2002 Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee

Corked pepsi

David [drinkers.gif]

27

OK, I find Gerhard’s obsessive classification aligns pretty well with my experience but I don’t have full exposure to some of the lesser VR wines he mentioned. My question is what are the attributes of Vosne Romannee wines that differentiate them from the other villages of the Cote? Is there a distinctive aroma and taste profile that transcends the various estates but can be connected to Vosne Romanee itself? I can make a stab at it but don’t seem to have the language skills to really grab the essence, even tho I know what is in my mouth and adore it, when a great example.

For me I think the first clue is some kind of richness that is wrapped in velvet. The richness of fruit is carried to the nose often with a cherry scent and spices that can be very complex. Seldom is there disjointedness but often a very complete integration of flavors. Unquestionably the RC is the supreme example of this but were I to base my criteria on a hypothetical village style I would need to place the best examples of RSV behind RC but easily arguable with La Romanee. There are always other examples that depart markedly from the hypothetical of course but there still seems to be a definite taste/aroma profile that is recognizable.

We have in Vosne Romanee, it seems the perfume and elegance of Chambolle, the stern body of a Morey, the tannin of a Gevrey but less rustic, and perhaps the drinkability of a fine Clos Vougeot.

Well a few thoughts

28

CN, my experience is sadly limited at the top (DRC) levels, but that is a fine summary of Vosne-Romanee.

29

Howard,
yes, that´s why there are wine boards. I THOUGHT there will be heavy disagreement … and why not … [cheers.gif]

30

2006 Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château - I was disappointed with this. Not enough concentration, too much smart oak, Pinot rather than Vosne-Romanee.
2005 Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts - A little too ripe and generous, lacks the acid, tannic backbone, and cut I expect of 05, soft.

31

Well, just like in other villages there is not ONE single attribute overlapping all lieu-dits … and IF at all also not with the same distinctiveness! The terroir is never completely congruent with the (political) village borders …

For instance to the North you´ve got wines not dissimilar to Chambolle (Echezeaux, En Orveau), more uphill to the East you´ll often find a certain minerality (Beaumonts, Cros Parantoux, Petits Monts, Reignots), Grand Echezeaux has a certain resemblance to (fine) Clos Vougeot with kind of a plumminess, and wines to the South (Malconsorts) are often meaty and structured like a (Northern) Nuits.
For me the real “heart” of Vosne is the terroir around "Romanee-Conti, Romanee-St-Vivant, La Romanee, La Tache (incl. Gaudichots) … also La Grande Rue in between! These climats show a certain exotic spicyness (soya, cloves, cinnamon, Ginger, Campher, dried herbs, white Pepper etc.) with a velvet texture, more red berried than dark fruits often reminding me on beetroots, tomatoe puree and wild strawberries, mixing with underwood, wet moss, rotten wood, autumn leaves and earth when really mature (after 15-20+ years).
Richebourg often has more dark fruits (blueberries, heart cherries) with a certain mineralic note (graphit, lead-pencil) and kind of plumminess when young … and the 1er Crus above often show similar character.

I´d say to the degree these characters are found in the 1er Crus as well I´d call them “typical Vosnes” … less distinctive in the Village climats down an the Rue nationale, more pronounced in the mid and upper slope.
(my description is NOT comprehensive …)

32

Gerhard,
I like this description. I know it is hard to generalize but this is a really good tour of the unique characteristics of Vosne.
Thanks,

33

I think in Vosne, much more than any other place, it is important to keep in mind that the vineyard vs. the producer as forming peoples’ ideas of the vineyards is the most “chicken and egg”. This is especially true with monopoles, but Cros P. is the best example of that “danger” as until the late '80s all of the wiunes were made by Henri Jayer…and, then all by his disciples at Rouget and Meo-Camuzet.

Though I can’t argue with the traditional “wisdom”, I am very leery of trying to refine Vosne into any more than that.

Then, there is the issue of producers in Vosne vs. producers of Vosne. Mugneret-Gibourg is in Vosne, but other than the villages and bourgogne wines, produces no Vosne premier crus.

I love the MG wines, FWIW. They have come a long way since Dr. Georges made them. But, so have most peoples’ wines come a long way way since the mid-80s.
Not sure what wines Gerhard is describing, if he’s talking about Vosne wines?? I do think the women there have been making wine of an evolving style…and, in the early '90s were stung by Parker’s reassessment that the estate’s wines were “hard” and not as good as he had believed. (One day we tasted through a bunch with all three of the Mugnerets, shortly after Parker said that. I think they were moved to make wines of more finesses and younger appeal from that time. I think they’ve succeeded beautifully, too.)

I do think Vosne puts together the best characteristics of pinot noir and the villages there. Some winemakers think Chambolle does, but I prefer the meatier element of Vosne in the mix.

Beaux Monts might be my favorite vineyard in Burgundy for red wine: Jayer/Rouget; Grivot; Daniel Rion have all provided thrills for me over the last 20+ years…at relative values, too.

34

Stuart,
well - I do not disagree will anything you said, but reg. Cros Parantoux: if this vineyards produces wines on a level and of an individuality comparable to RSV and Rb (no matter by whom) it is IMHO worth of GC-status as well. I´m writing this without ever having tasted a CP by Jayer [cry.gif] - but Rouget and Meo-C showed it.
Moreover the vineyard is small - and the quality overall present … if a Beaux-Monts, Suchots or Malconsorts is especially fine it well can be a perfectly placed parcel or very old vines …

(… and I wish Cathiard, L-M Liger-Belair, Leroy or DRC could make a “La Grande Rue” someday)

Reg.Mugneret-G: I do not deny the quality of the wines, just personally less and less my style (and I have tasted many wines after 1997, too). Also: they don´t make a Vosne except the Village … and I´m definitely a Vosne-guy …

35

I just saw I have forgotten
Genaivrieres (Leroy) and
Genaivrieres (others)

and will edit my list above!

36

Regarding the issue of Brulees again. I guess given Gerhard went the trouble of parsing which producer’s bottles should be ranked where (no quibble here) I would rank Meo’s Brulees at least at the level of Arnoux Suchots. So I would rank that bottling qausi-grand cru and then lower the rest to 1er cru. At least as they are presently being produced.

37

Have only had a couple pre-1999 and they didn’t float my boat but for 2001 and later vintages, I’m in total agreement with Howard.

RT

38

Josh, I did find one tasting note, 1999 Echezeaux, and from my brief comment it would seem I saw this wine pretty much as you describe. I liked it a lot, BTW.

39

I don’t have much experience with Vosne and very little in my cellar, although I do hope to contribute a TN or two this week.

Regardless, I’d just like to say “Wow!” to all this fantastic discussion. The level of knowledge and experience here is enough to make this Burg geek read with glee and humility [worship.gif]. I would love nothing more than to taste/discuss/learn Burgs from some of you in person one day.

(OK, please excuse the thread drift, just had to say that…)

1 Like
40

Gerhard, Stuart, we should not forget that Mugneret-Gibourg makes Echezeaux, alnog with the Vosne villages.