Description
Lying between Flagey-Échezeaux (home of the ÉCHEZEAUX appellation) and Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée occupies a middle position in the Côte de Nuits. The vines grow at altitudes of 250 to 310 metres and face east or, in some cases, slightly south of east. Vosne-Romanée, the central jewel in the necklace of appellations which is the burgundian côte, is not content with holding a mere four aces but boasts a total of six Grands Crus, each one famous the world over. A thousand years ago, it was the Benedictine monks of Saint-Vivant de Vergy and the Cistercians of Cîteaux who first realised the value of these very special plots of land. One of these vineyards takes its name from Prince Conti who lost his heart to it in 1760. Romanée-Conti is one of the wonders of the world and has always been a singly-held entity.
Tasting Notes
The 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru is still predictably youthful, unfurling in the glass with aromas of crisp Anjou pear, buttered citrus, tangerine oil and a prominent framing of very classy new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and concentrated, both satiny and textural without being remotely unctuous, and underpinned by succulent, even tangy acids. At this stage, where the wine really shows its pedigree is in its extraordinarily long, oak-inflected finish. Given the vintage, one might have expected more ripeness and drama, but the domaine is picking its Montrachet a bit earlier these days, and that has done it no harm at all in 2015. It would be interesting to taste this wine alongside Ramonet’s example, which is both more textural and less overtly oaky, but my sense is that the two are on the same qualitative level in their very different styles. [96+ Points, William Kelley – October 2018, robertparker.com]
