2009 Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots

The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots is silky, elegant and impeccable from start to finish. This is a more weightless, sensual wine than some of the preceding selections, but it shows notable depth in its intensely fragrant, perfumed fruit. Sweet tannins frame the refined finish. Here the higher percentage of new oak (67%) is felt in the wine’s inner sweetness and texture, but not flavors. This is another jewel from Grivot. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. This is a gorgeous set of wines from Etienne and Marielle Grivot that captures the essence of several of Vosne’s most illustrious vineyards. Grivot encourages slow malos and leaves the wines on the lees for approximately 15 months after the vinification. New oak ranges from 15-20% for the villages, 30-50% for the 1ers and 40-70% for the grands crus. Based on the wines I tasted 2009 looks like a much more consistent vintage than 2008. The finest 2008s are also well worth considering, but there are more highs and lows, especially in the entry part of the range. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600

(just 1-1/2 barrels made) Good deep red. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, flowers and smoky oak; not quite as precise as the Beaux Monts. Sweet and fleshy on entry, then firmly minerally in the middle, with a suggestion of pepper that suggests vinification with some stems (actually not the case, as Grivot destemmed all his fruit in 2009). Finishes chewy and solid, with a restrained sweetness and a suggestion of acidity-less harmonious today than the Beaux Monts. Grivot relied on pigeage here, as the small size of the cuvee did not allow for remontage

The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots is silky, elegant and impeccable from start to finish. This is a more weightless, sensual wine than some of the preceding selections, but it shows notable depth in its intensely fragrant, perfumed fruit. Sweet tannins frame the refined finish. Here the higher percentage of new oak (67%) is felt in the wine’s inner sweetness and texture, but not flavors. This is another jewel from Grivot. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. ||This is a gorgeous set of wines from Etienne and Marielle Grivot that captures the essence of several of Vosne’s most illustrious vineyards. Grivot encourages slow malos and leaves the wines on the lees for approximately 15 months after the vinification. New oak ranges from 15-20% for the villages, 30-50% for the 1ers and 40-70% for the grands crus. Based on the wines I tasted 2009 looks like a much more consistent vintage than 2008. The finest 2008s are also well worth considering, but there are more highs and lows, especially in the entry part of the range. Wine Advocate.May, 2011