2013 Domaine François Lamarche La Grande Rue Grand Cru

Dominant oak with smoke overlaying the black fruit. Tight, but missing the grandiosity of the address. (RH)

Like the Clos de Vougeot there is just enough reduction present to mask the fruit and render a proper assessment of the nose difficult. There is good volume and richness to the mineral-inflected and velvety medium weight flavors that possess solid mid-palate density on the balanced, intense and impressively lengthy finish. I very much like the fine grain to the tannins and this too should amply repay extended keeping yet be approachable after only 6 to 8 years of cellar time.

The 2013 La Grande Rue has a very pure bouquet, quite floral with touches of dried rose petals and small red cherries that are soon overtaken by raspberry preserve, cranberry and gravel scents. The palate is medium-bodied with gently caressing tannin that coat the mouth. This is very intense, very structured but not overwhelming with a saline tang right on the finish. This is one of the best La Grande Rue that I have tasted from barrel. Wonderful. ||I'm sorta kinda lovin' what's going on at François Lamarche at the moment. Ten or fifteen years ago they were seen as the "could have beens," a domaine with an array of holdings that would make a luxury conglomerate looking for a grand entrance in Burgundy go weak at the knees, including that slither of La Grande Rue that runs parallel to Romanée-Conti and La Romanée. They're not bad neighbors to have. Nowadays, they are fashioning just the kind of Pinot Noir that I adore: unforced, natural, elegant and very terroir expressive. Stylistically, they make me think of Mugneret-Gibourg next door, Burgundy wines that whisper their nuances into your ear, knowing there is no need to shout. As usual I tasted in front of a welcome fire with winemaker Nicole Lamarche, who has been in charge here since 2006. Her individualism is expressed through her looks: short-cropped hair and piercings, what you might call "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" chic. She's clearly someone not predisposed to blend in with the denizens of Vosne, who are not exactly the hippest when it comes to fashion. I often find Nicole laconic at first, but within an hour we are chatting away about wines and favorite restaurants in Beaune, and the warmth of her personality shines through. ||"It is a classic vintage of Burgundy wine," she opined. "The wines are very elegant with more fruit. We began the harvest on 6 October, which was very late. The last time we began in October was in 1991. We were getting around 11 and 11.5 degrees alcohol and chaptalized a little. I don't want more than 13 degrees alcohol." All the wines had been racked three weeks ago and will be bottled in three months time, which will be done without fining or filtration.||The tasting notes speak for themselves. This was a deeply impressive set of wines that were an absolute joy to taste. Nicole has that "touch" of harnessing the essence of Pinot Noir, letting the wines articulate their terroir with seemingly effortless ease, a sense of transparency that is wondrous to behold. Given the quality of these 2013s in a challenging vintage, I cannot wait to taste their 2014s. Nearly all these wines comes strongly recommended. | eRobertParker.com.January, 2015