2022 La Grande Rue

This is at once spicier and more floral in character on the cool, airy and elegant red pinot fruit, exotic tea and sandalwood-infused nose. There is both good volume and mid-palate density to the utterly delicious and lightly stony middleweight plus flavors that are quite seductive, all wrapped in a compact, stylish and hugely long finale. This very stylish effort is excellent as the only reproach is a backend touch of warmth. Drink 2034+

Bright mid purple. The bouquet intrigues with the little touch of orange zest which always seems to be mixed in with the red fruit here. Lifted floral notes, roses and the lighter side of peonies. Sensual and sweetly ripe on the palate, the fruit more loaded towards the mid palate, and a drier tannin or two to finish. Very much a baby. 

La Grande Rue has always been the pride of the cellar, justifiably so under Nicole Lamarche. Her 2022 has an appealingly dark ruby hue and noticeably riper plum and pomegranate fruit, accented with nuance of earth and smoke and a savoury, gamey edge that Lamarche describes as 'very mysterious'. The grapes are from the 1.65-hectare monopole next to La Tâche. She has fermented about 30% of the grapes as whole clusters, using both punching down and pumping over before ageing in cask (half new). This marvellous wine should open in five to seven years and provide decades of pleasure.