2013 Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes

A strong whiff of toasty oak, but impressive density of forest fruit/black cherry underneath. Quite burly, but there is balance and elegance behind the power. (AH)

(this parcel faces south/southeast and thus gets less afternoon sun; there's some clay in the soil, as with the Hautes Maizières): Bright, full red. Open-knit aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and tobacco. Silky and full but with lovely inner-mouth clarity and lift. The red fruit flavors are complicated by notes of licorice and menthol. Dense, sappy, rather youthfully compact wine, with a firm spine of tannins to support a graceful evolution in bottle. I'd open the comparatively sensual Brûlées first.

As it usually is this is slightly more elegant with its airy, cool and layered nose that is also quite spicy and even more floral with good freshness to the fruit that runs more toward the red side of the spectrum. The middle weight flavors possess a feeling of restraint along with excellent vibrancy, all wrapped in a fuller and slightly more powerful finish that offers up an interesting note of dried orange peel.