2005 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Aux Brulees 1er Cru

The 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Brulees shows lightly-cooked black cherry and black raspberry, nut oils, vanilla, sweet florality and beef marrow on the nose. Like satin in the mouth, this bastes the palate with restrained black fruits and meat stock, leading to a long, sedate but subtly, darkly complex finish of black fruit, raw meat, floral and chalky-mineral dimensions. How it will age only adds to this wine’s mystery, but I would not neglect to revisit it in at most 5-7 years. Etienne Grivot aimed this year for gentle extraction (essentially without pigeage), then watchful preservation of the freshness, subtleties and refinement inherent in near-perfect raw material. He performed some very light chaptalization to extend the fermentations. Given the health and natural concentration of his vinous raw material, he felt no need to sulfur or rack the wines until shortly prior to bottling (without filtration), which was the stage at which I tasted. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400.

Wonderfully pure extract of black pinot and cherry fruit aromas complement the mineral-infused and muscular, indeed even robust full-bodied flavors brimming with mid-palate sap that completely buffers the firm, dusty and again, mineral-infused finish. This is beautifully textured with the balance to age for years. Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan01,2007.

The 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Brulees shows lightly-cooked black cherry and black raspberry, nut oils, vanilla, sweet florality and beef marrow on the nose. Like satin in the mouth, this bastes the palate with restrained black fruits and meat stock, leading to a long, sedate but subtly, darkly complex finish of black fruit, raw meat, floral and chalky-mineral dimensions. How it will age only adds to this wine’s mystery, but I would not neglect to revisit it in at most 5-7 years. David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate Apr 2007