2012 Vosne Romanee Les Petits Monts
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The 2012 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts from Georges Noëllat was utterly seductive from barrel, and in summer 2015, it was delicious from bottle. So, what went wrong with this bottle, purchased on release and opened from my own cellar? Today, the wine is decidedly less exciting than it was a year ago: its pretty nose of red-black berry fruit, dried currants and dried rose petal has lost intensity; and on the palate, this supple, medium-full wine lacks sap, concentration and depth. I worry that this was crafted for near-term seduction and has already passed its peak.
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Average Score
Neal Martin
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Light ruby. Less open on the nose than Les Boudots but there's a hint of something floral and sweet red cherry. Moreish, fresh, approachable but a little light on the mid palate. (JH)
The 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Petits-Monts has a very precise, mineral-rich bouquet with hints of violet infusing the dark berry fruit – Margaux meets Vosne maybe? The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins and its conspicuous new oak will need more time to be fully absorbed. It gradually builds in the mouth toward a velvety, bulbous finish that deserves more tension, just to add some bite. ||“Noellat” might be a name synonymous with Vosne-Romanee for decades. However 22-year-old Maxime Cheurlin, Georges Noellat’s nephew, is a name to look for in the future. He grew up in Champagne rather than the Cote d’Or since his parents run a successful champagne house, but it seems that Maxime heard the calling and seems intent on reinstalling the family name in Burgundy. With some enviable parcels of vine scattered around the locale, Maxime works out of the family’s small cellars just behind his parents’ house whose conservatory offers a fantastic panorama across their holding of Les Chaumees. Stylistically, these wines reminded me of Sylvain Cathiard. Yes, there is a modern sheen lent by the new oak, although it only seemed to be slightly excessive with respect to the Echezeaux. Maxime seems to be a driven young vigneron whose tenets have been instilled from an early age, but wow – what potential! eRobertParker.com.December, 2013
The 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Petits Monts from Georges Noellat was utterly seductive from barrel, and in summer 2015, it was delicious from bottle. So, what went wrong with this bottle, purchased on release and opened from my own cellar? Today, the wine is decidedly less exciting than it was a year ago: its pretty nose of red-black berry fruit, dried currants and dried rose petal has lost intensity; and on the palate, this supple, medium-full wine lacks sap, concentration and depth. I worry that this was crafted for near-term seduction and has already passed its peak. Jan 2018, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Domaine Georges Noëllat, based in the village of Vosne-Romanée is today run by Maxime Cheurlin. Cheurlin took over the domaine in 2010 – aged just 20 – and has since transformed its reputation as one of the finest Burgundy wine producers.