2011 Vougeot Les Petits Vougeots

The 2011 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot has a crisp, precise, mineral bouquet that develops hints of apricot with time. The palate is finely balanced, a little tart on the entry but then at the back of the mouth one feels solid tannins that engender a slightly foursquare correct finish. Very fine. Drink 2014-2022. I remember first meeting Jean-Marie Fourrier in London back at a time when he was establishing a presence in the UK market. Back then, his wines enjoyed more cultish popularity, that being at a time when Burgundy was the preserve of aficionados. Things have changed. Fourrier is now one of the most respected names in Gevrey, even if, perversely, he remains relatively unknown in his homeland. And Jean-Marie has not changed in all the years that I have known him. He is passionate, candid, principled, witty and born with a convenient knack of creating elegant Pinot Noirs that in 2011 have been augmented by two negociant offerings. Jean-Marie was at pains to explain that this expansion is simply because it is too expensive to buy vineyard nowadays and it does not represent a change in direction. His wines bear a whiff of semblance of Henri Jayer for whom Jean-Marie did a stage back in 1988, the fruit almost entirely de-stemmed and aged prudently in a modest percentage of new oak. With respect to the 2011s, I questioned him about the ripeness level and whether he felt there were incidences of greenness. He explained that there was the constant pressure of mildew, but that those with adequate, healthy green foliage were able to exploit the final three weeks of warm weather at the end of what had been a cool summer, offering the step to phenolic maturity. As previously mentioned, there are two negociant wines to finish off. Jean-Marie’s team goes into the vineyard to undertake the picking and he emphasized: “I buy grapes, not wine” and only from those who bottle themselves and want to reduce their quantity. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

Good medium red. Cherry, minerals, licorice and blood orange on the perfumed nose: I would have picked this blind as a Chambolle. Sappy, intense flavors of wild red berries are framed and lifted by a firm spine of acidity. Finishes classically dry, firm and long, with excellent energy and lift.

Other owners: Bertagna, Roux, Hudelot Noellat and Clerget. Very close to Amoureuses. Very solid and substantial and chewy. Long and dry. Racy. Impressive and a long-distance runner. (JR)