What is Vosne spice?

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 2:56am

I’m sipping a wine right now, and the friend who gave it to me referenced “Vosne spice” in his TN of the same wine. This wine has a beautiful spice quality to it, but I don’t know if I’m smelling “Vosne spice” because I don’t know what that means.

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Peter_Cargasacchi · February 13, 2009, 3:20am

100% medium plus toast, Francois Freres oak barrels.

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 3:42am

Nice avatar. Penguin kabobs?

ademello · February 13, 2009, 3:57am

What are you drinking? A Burg? Vosne-Romanée?

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 4:00am

Ding ding ding… so tell me about the spice profile, Dermello.

Todd_Hamina · February 13, 2009, 4:10am

It’s old patchouilli and hash smelled out of a t-shirt of someone you hooked up with after a Dead show in college. That’s why everyone likes it.

ToddFrench · February 13, 2009, 4:12am

I believe it is unshaved armpit hair sweat covered in once-a-week shower and nicotine

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 4:13am

Shoot, I graduated in '94. Is there a Nirvana equivalent?

Todd_Hamina · February 13, 2009, 4:20am

I just showed my age didn’t I?

Todd’s right too.

dteng · February 13, 2009, 5:42am

High school?
To me at least, I think the Vosne spice is sort of a mix between cinnamon, oak and earth…but it almost is more of a mouthfeel than a taste.

…or not. [nea.gif]

Jeff_Twersky · February 13, 2009, 6:20am

I thought that Hamina was describing a mouthfeel, or maybe a mouthful?

Josh_Beck · February 13, 2009, 7:00am

zing! good one

Josh_Beck · February 13, 2009, 7:04am

There are those that are far, far more qualified to answer, but assuming ripeness or oak don’t get in the way, Vosne spice is (to me) something like Asian 5-spice, perhaps with some stuff like violets, baking spice, hints of white pepper, even soy… hard to describe I guess and I’m (invariably) doing a poor job.

Michael_Bowden · February 13, 2009, 7:30am

Sounds fairly accurate…Its just something that needs to be experienced.

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 7:33am

JOSH!

With all due respect to the Todds, I didn’t get a whole lot of armpit or Grateful Dead detritus… but 5-spice and hoisin were there in abundance. That helps. Thank you!

LMD_Ermitano · February 13, 2009, 7:41am

I agree. I see it in notes every so often but don’t really grasp what they mean - and I’ve had a lot of Vosne-Romanée.

Apropos to the 100% (new) oak + toast mentioned above by Peter, they don’t all do that, not that I’ve seen, anyway when I spent a week there tasting and visiting. Not all use the Francois family’s barrels either (Jerome Francois is a friend of mine, by the way - he advises me on which restaurants to go to in the Côte d’Or). When I visited some wineries there, they usually have a mix of barrels (out of curiosity, I did keep an eye out to see how well Jerome’s barrels sell in the area).

Noel

Josh_Beck · February 13, 2009, 7:56am

I’m curious what the wine in question was Melissa?

Jeff_Pf0h1 · February 13, 2009, 8:04am

+1 on the agree.

I’ve only seen it in notes when it is NOT blind. I’ve never seen anyone say it double-blind. YMMV.

Steve_M_c_C_a_l_l · February 13, 2009, 8:31pm

On the contrary, I think you’re right on, Josh. I was calling it soy, then zeroed in on some other asian spice… finally I sniffed my glass, then opened a jar of hoisin sauce we had in the fridge and bingo, that was the smell.

Nice call.

Michael_Bowden · February 13, 2009, 10:22pm

TN: 1997 Champy Les Suchots - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;