An impressive wine from one of the star names in Vosne, very much on the up at the moment. Mid garnet with some purple notes. Big, rich, bold and oaky, but backed up witt lots of dense fruit, ostensibly from low-yielding vines. Spice, plum and balckberry on the palate, some stems and a long, silky, harmonious finish. Lovely wine.
Food Match: Lamb
2009 Domaine d'Ardhuy, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid ruby/pink. Smoky, incense-like nose. A wine that needs time to express itself. At the moment, the tannins seem a little dry and extracted, possibly a result of the hot vintage. But there’s good underlying structure here and sweet, concentrated fruit.
2009 R. Dubois, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid-ruby/garnet. Youthful, but also on the over-ripe side. The sample I tasted was showing some oxidation and pruneyness. Curranty, slightly bitter with lots of oak. Rather four square. Maybe it was a bad sample?
2009 Laurent Roumier, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Pale garnet/red. Aromatic, leafy, wild strawberry nose, with just a hint of oak. Fine and nuanced. Lovely, sweet, textured fruit, with acidity underpinning the flavours. The oak and extraction are perfectly judged here. The wine is very long: Pinot wizardry showing real mastery of the vintage and the cru.
2009 Henri Boillot, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Pale purple with a pinkish rim. The nose is on the oaky side with a slightly feral note. The palate is leafy and a little dry, but there’s a refreshing twist that lifts the wine on the finish. It just needs a little more fruit in the middle for plumpness.
2009 Armelle et Bernard Rion, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )If you like your red Burgundies pale (and I’ve seen deeper coloured rosés than this), purchase a case of this wine. Very delicate on the nose with wild strawberry and a hint of spice. Sweet cherry fruit on the palate, with a touch of meaty reduction. Light and ethereal, this is a very drinkable Pinot, although arguably closer to Premier than Grand Cru quality.
2009 Pierre André, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Dense, almost opaque colour that could be a Syrah or a Cabernet in appearance. Big, oaky, concentrated, yet a little ponderous with too much extraction for the level of fruit. This is a decent dry red, but it doesn’t really stack up as a Grand Cru Burgundy, even from Clos de Vougeot. May soften with age, but I have my doubts.
2009 Château de Santenay, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Pale garnet/ruby with a splash of pink. Youthful, elegant and complex perfume: savoury, some oak and supple red fruits. The acidity is very crisp, lending the wine balance and harmony and freshness. There’s quite a bit of stuffing on the palate, suggesting that the wine will develop in bottle. Good and likley to get better.
2009 Drouhin-Laroze, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Vibrant, purple-hued Pinot from one of the top producers in Gevrey, specialising in deliberately modern style. Yes, it’s a big, bold, powerful wine, but it’s harmonious too. Youthful, vigorous and sweet with a subtle interplay between red and blacks fruits, succulent tannins and a finish that promises more to come in the bottle.
2009 Dufouleur Frères, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )A pale, almost translucent Pinot. Scented, leafy and complex with gentle understatement and a touch of smoky oak. The palate is very sweet, but the oak is a little intrusive here. A shae because the fruit is of high quality and the acidity gives the wine a refreshing lift. Maybe the oak will integrate with time.
2009 Alex Gambal, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Pale ruby red, slightly coudy. Elegant, perfumed, nuanced Clos de Vougeot with light red fruits and subtle oak on the nose. The palate has a little more oomph, but it’s still made in a gentle, quite forward style. Raspberry and redcurrant with some grip, a touch of leafiness and a long, harmonious finish. Likely to be reasonably priced, too.
2009 Château Genot-Boulanger, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid garnet with a pinkish rim. Ginger spice and some reduction on the nose: smoky, well balanced and structured. The wine is both jammy and a teeny bit reduced on the palate, but it’s sustained by fresh acidity and medium weight tannins. It should age, but the alcohol may start to dominate in bottle.