2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru 'Aux Brulees' VV 0,75l Bruno Clavelier

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées Vieilles Vignes comes from a parcel that Bruno told me is exposed to the cooler air descending from the valley and this results in lower pH levels in the wines. It has a crisp and focused bouquet, quite mineral-driven with flint and grey slate-like aromas permeating the mainly black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit. This feels quite citrus-like thanks to the acidic line, though there is plenty of substance on the structured finish that exerts an insistent grip in the mouth. There is a surfeit of energy coiled up in this Vosne-Romanée and I envisage it offering 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. This is excellent, perhaps the best ever made by Bruno from this vineyard.

(32 hectoliters per hectare produced from a parcel on well-drained sand and what Clavelier describes as "aromatic calcaire "; these vines face full south but benefit from colder air that filters through the combe ): Bright, dark red. Pungent red berries, blueberry and red licorice on the nose, lifted by minerals, flowers and spices. Wonderfully concentrated and light on its feet, offering a distinctly penetrating quality to its very pure flavors of strawberry, raspberry and crushed rock. Finishes vibrant, smooth and very long, with notes of licorice and sweet spices and a firm spine to support graceful aging. I love this wine's balance of fruit, acidity and rather delicate tannins, not to mention its finishing thrust.