2018 Vosne Romanee Beaumonts

2018, Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru, Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noëllat A clear mid purple. Not the most expressive at first, then some discreet wood develops. A little sweetly lactic as the oak continues to dominate. There is some ripe strawberry too, but I cant get beyond the oak. Drink from 2030.

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru has a fresh raspberry and wild strawberry bouquet, accompanied by touches of leather and freshly tilled earth. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that frame the pure, lightly spiced red fruit. Sage and thyme furnish the cohesive, persistent finish. Excellent.

Another great success this year is the 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts, a brilliant cuvée in the making that bursts with aromas of cassis, cherries, smoked duck, dried flowers and rich soil tones. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and textural, with a multidimensional core of lavishly ripe but succulent fruit that entirely conceals the wine's structuring tannins. Readers who are unable to secure a few bottles of Hudelot-Noellat's Richebourg this year should consider consoling themselves with this Beaumonts, as the latter tastes in many respects like the former's junior sibling. Charles Van Canneyt has surpassed himself with the 2018 vintage, producing a set of wines that rivals his 2016s and 2015s as his finest to date. Deep, textural and incipiently complex, these are powerful but elegant wines that display a sense of energy and dynamism that some of the year's reds lack. Followers of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat will be familiar with Van Canneyt's approach in the cuverie and cellar: The predominantly destemmed fruit, retained intact, is fermented in cement tanks for a classical maceration of two to three weeks. Élevage is in barrels emphasizing François Frères, with Cavin in a supporting role, and lasts fully 18 months with the exception of the Bourgogne Rouge, bottled before harvest. These in essence uncomplicated methods, combined with an enviable palette of appellations planted with notably old vines, produce elegant, charming wines with impressive substance and aging potential. I've been buying them for my own cellar since my student days, so this is an address I warmly recommend.