2018 Vosne Romanee

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Village was the only cru that had been racked when I visited in mid-November. The bouquet is well defined with vivid red berry fruit (red currant and cranberry) flanked by rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins, quite strict and linear, with a saline tang toward the finish. It feels tight at the moment but it will surely spread its wings once in bottle.

From Vigneux and a little bit of Aux Brûlées, plus young vines from all sites. No stems here because young vines not good for stems and the lower vines on Brûlées are Pinot Droit that has big bunches, doesn’t ripen so well and gets botrytis. After replanting he will use some stems. Five days' cold soak at 12 °C. No SO2 until after malo. Three new out of 14 barrels, 228-litre and one 500-litre. 20% whole bunch in the Vigneux so less then 10% overall. In 2018 extraction was quick and they stopped pigeage very early. He has 'no interest in making a Vougeot in Vosne-Romanée'. Tank sample. Deep cherry red. Cold sample and quite quiet, a little bit peppery. Very fine papery tannins. Delicacy and finesse but no lack of dark-red fruit, super-subtle but it is cold. Very long. (JH)