TN: Vosne on the range

Mongeard-Mugneret 1983 Vosne-Romanée Les Orveaux (Burgundy) – Old but hanging on; it gains strength in the forepalate as the evening goes on, but loses a bit on the finish. There’s old morels and dark earth with some coffee elements in the vapor trail. Tannin is emergent (as tends to happen in older red wines), and tinged by a very slight greenness. (6/07)

Cathiard 1993 Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Pretty, dominated by black truffle that crescendos on the finish towards ripe strawberry. Very long and lovely. The pure essence of Burgundy. (6/07)

Thomas-Moillard 1990 Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Soft but insistent, with morels, black cherries and a thick, youthful palate that is far more primary-feeling than I’d like. It’s a little big, and definitely low in acidity. But it’s flavorful, despite the sludgy leanings. (6/07)

Forey 1995 Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – An old nose of crushed roses (and other flowers), with lots of earth. Polished and once-beautiful, but it appears to be on the decline. This smells better as the evening progresses, but the palate never really catches up. (6/07)

Potel 1999 Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Concentrated framboise liqueur. Hugely fruity, with good acid and prettier floral notes on the finish, which is lengthy. Very primary, and I always worry about liqueur notes in Burgundy. (6/07)

Potel 1998 Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Black cherry and herbed shiitake. Extremely dense. Frankly, this is too young to judge, though I do note the shift towards black fruit vs. the ’99. (6/07)

Grivot 1999 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Black and blue syrup with a cardboardy underpinning. I don’t care for this very much. (6/07)

Rion 1998 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Corked. (6/07)

Michel-Noëllat 2002 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Mushroom and truffled earth with deep roots. Beautiful, verging on stunning, and though young there’s already an earthy complexity that’s utterly captivating. Wow. (6/07)

Arnoux 1996 Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – A slightly sour attack, then turning to mixed cherries sprinkled with tarragon and strawberry seeds. The structure is forceful and somewhat hard, with high acidity as well. It improves with air, but it’s still on the slightly grating, herbal side. (6/07)

Bouchard “Château de Vosne-Romanée” 1990 Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots (Burgundy) – Butterfat and blocky, chocolate-coated blueberry. Long but monolithic, and decidedly uninspiring. (6/07)

Mongeard-Mugneret 2001 Richebourg “Grand Cru” (Burgundy) – Massively complex, with soft waves of fading red berries and mixed peppers and peppercorns. The key is the texture, which is utterly seductive and elegant. Gorgeous, with more development ahead. (6/07)