2009 Domaine Forey Père & Fils Vosne-Romanée Les Gaudichots 1er Cru

The 2009 Vosne-Romanée Les Gaudichots shows great intensity in its dark fruit. It is a rich, seductive wine layered with hints of sweet spices, mint and roses, all of which add complexity as well as freshness. A vein of minerality gives the wine its verve. The Gaudichots is too steep for tractors, so Forey works this parcel with a horse.

The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Les Gaudichots shows great intensity in its dark fruit. It is a rich, seductive wine layered with hints of sweet spices, mint and roses, all of which add complexity as well as freshness. A vein of minerality gives the wine its verve. The Gaudichots is too steep for tractors, so Forey works this parcel with a horse. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Regis Forey began harvesting on September 13. His wines did a total of eight(!) weeks of cuvaison, by far the lengthiest vinifications of any grower I visited. Forey used 100% new oak for all of his 1ers and Grands Crus. The wines were bottled between December, 2010 and February, 2011 with no fining or filtration. These are unusually open, fruit-driven wines, even within the context of 2009. The Grand Crus are not necessarily better than some of the 1ers. I am not sure how well the wines will age, but in most cases they will certainly deliver considerable pleasure early on. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

Deep red. Very ripe aromas of raspberry and espresso lifted by pungent minerality. Fat, silky and sweet but with good energy and lift to the flavors of raspberry, minerals and pepper. In a more elegant style, with a tannic spine for aging. These Vosne wines have good structure.