2014 Domaine Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1er Cru

The 2014 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux, of which there are seven barrels this year, has a beautifully defined bouquet, very pure and precise with wild strawberry, limestone, rose petal and a touch of blood orange. You miss a heartbeat just nosing this wine. The palate is precise, refined and very pure, a silver bead of acidity, so much energy on the finish as it fans out in graceful fashion. There is incredible persistence here, a brilliant Cros Parantoux with which Uncle Henri would have been proud.

Deep, bright red-ruby. Brooding dark berry and floral aromas show terrific lift. Broad, highly concentrated and vibrant, with strong acidity perfectly enrobed by intense dark fruit flavors. Delivers a rare combination of power and finesse. Finishes with terrific medicinal reserve, the tannins saturating the sides of the tongue. Rouget compared this wine to the 1999 for its finesse. It's as if the Echézeaux and Cros Parantoux have exchanged personalities this year.