2007 Vosne Romanee Clos du Chateau Monopole

Alkaline and oddly algae-like scents mingle with fungal, forest floor, and Latakia tobacco and peat smokiness in the nose of Liger-Belair’s 2007 Vosne Romanee Clos Du Chateau. Spare and firmly tannic in comparison with the generic village bottling, yet undeniably more complex, and with an inchoate sense of sweet red and black fruit juiciness rising in its otherwise multifariously woodsy and mineral finish. I suspect this will evolve quickly in bottle and would plan to enjoy it over the next 3-4 years rather than envisioning waiting-out the tannins. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair’s 2008 collection strikes me as hands-down his best so far, and he is inclined to agree. But the quality of his 2007s also bespeaks increasing mastery of technique; focusing of his aesthetic (and a more focused resultant style); and certainly too, greater familiarity with his vineyards, a substantial portion of which (as explained in issue 186) was only acquired in 2006. (Liger-Belair would also put emphasis on the accumulated effect of a biodynamic regimen, including deep horse-plowing for the estate’s top acreage.) Malos were not inordinately late in this relatively warm cellar, and bottling of the 2008s took place between mid-January and late March, three weeks after which I tasted the wines. “The big deal,” opines Liger-Belair, “was – a bit of rot, of course, but – the major problem was rose, pink grapes. So my primary goal was to be at the beginning of the sorting table to pick out bunches” that harbored some of those berries, an imperfection that evidently could easily be missed. Liger-Belair continues to experiment with the inclusion of stems and whole clusters, although he limited this vendange entier approach in both the 2007 and 2008 vintages, lest any greenness intrude. Finished alcohols on the 2008s range from the low 12’s to low 13’s with only a minor amount of chaptalization performed on certain cuvees. A Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet; fax 011-333-80-24-29-70

Palish red. Lower-toned aromas of mocha, chocolate, truffle and tobacco. Then supple and sweet in the mouth, but simpler and less ripe than the Colombiere, showing a slightly saline character to its soil-driven flavors of smoke, earth and underbrush. This, too, hints at cherry liqueur. Finishes with fairly sweet tannins.

Good medium red. Sexy aromas of strawberry, smoke, tobacco and earth, plus a whiff of stone. Broad, lush and dry, with strong smoky, saline soil tones and a fine dusting of tannins. I'd like to have seen a bit more verve, though. (My sample of the Vosne-Romanee La Colombiere showed firm minerality but came across as rather dry; as it had been pulled from barrel prior to the racking ten days before my visit, I'll wait to taste this in finished form.)