Vosne-Romanée

Little is left to say of Vosne-Romanée that hasn’t already been said. British wine writer Clive Coates called it “the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth.” It is the most regal of villages with the most prestigious Grand Crus and an all-star lineup of elite producers, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), Domaine Leroy, Anne Gros, Méo-Camuzet, Liger-Belair, and more.

Why is this ground so hallowed? It’s hard to say. Writers talk about the perfect blend of limestone soils and marl the gentle but intensifying slope of the Grand Crus. We’ve heard about the presence of montmorillonite, a special kind of clay mineral, with exceptional ability to nourish vines, but this doesn’t seem to offer all of the explanation, as many other regions also show these characteristics.

So perhaps the greatness is cultural. Despite the village’s reputation, there is still mediocre wine made here, which suggests that a great terroir is never enough to save an untalented vigneron. But perhaps it’s the culture - the standard of achievement is so high here, that the local community of vineyard owners has pushed each other to greater and greater heights. Or perhaps the care in vine selection, which encourages vignerons to comb their vineyards to collect specimens of the highest quality individual wines, has been superior here for generations.

Whatever the reason, Vosne produces some of the world’s greatest pinot noir. Particularly impressive is Vosne-Romanée’s collection of Grand Crus, which total six (eight, if you throw in neighboring Flagey-Echezeaux). They read like the roster of an all-star team: La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant, La Romanée, Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux, and La Grande Rue.

Even the Premier Crus deserve a section of their own. Reignots (Liger-Belair), Petits Monts (Drouhin) and Cros Parantoux (Méo-Camuzet, Rouget), that sit above Richebourg, are known to make beautiful expressive wines especially in warm years. The south-facing vineyards influenced by the Combe de Concoeur produce wine of typical combelike elegance. Les Suchots is the lowest vineyard in this area and makes a rich, full-bodied wine that, in great winemaking hands like those of Leroy or Liger-Belair, can be almost Grand Cru quality. Climbing up the slope into the combe brings Aux Brulées, a magnificent slope that, despite its position in the wind, can make a wine of great meaty body with structure (Leroy, Meo-Camuzet). And finally, Beaux Monts, a bit higher on the slope, makes an angular, slightly tannic wine much of the time, but in great years or with age, produces a beguiling wine of great verve, texture, and perfume. And, of course, there’s the Premier Cru many would consider at or just beneath the level of the Grand Crus: Malconsorts. Pressed between La Tâche and the border with Nuits-St-Georges, Malconsorts makes a voluptuous, deep, structured wine with opulent fruit that in many years stands just behind La Tâche in terms of nuance and complexity.

tasting notes

At their best, these wines magically bring together all of Burgundy’s iconic qualities in one. They can be intellectual, yet at the same time hedonistic. They can be austere, yet also generous. They can be muscular, but also lithe. Aristocratic, but also appealing to the common palate. Mineral and fruity. Profound and joyful. The list goes on.

One key attribute of winemaking that creates a divergent taste profile is that grapes can either be fermented whole cluster or destemmed. That is, you can remove the grapes from their stems at fermentation or ferment them with stems in the vat. On the whole cluster side, you have heavy weights like DRC, Domaine Leroy and Domaine Dujac. Championing destemming, you have the late Henri Jayer and his disciples at Liger-Belair and Méo-Camuzet. To illustrate how these can differ, take a look at Richebourg from Méo (destemmed) versus DRC (whole cluster). The DRC emphasizes the dark, savory side of Richebourg; the wine is somewhat thick and dense, yet with a rich, lacy texture. The Méo is a very different wine, looking more toward red fruits, spice, and an orange-peel brightness. In time, they will go to different places, too. The whole cluster DRC will retain a savory element, melding with the fruit to create flavors rich in earth and umami. The destemmed Méo will go to more ethereal heights of pure fruit and flowers. Both styles produce powerful, yet elegant flavors.

grand cru

La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant, La Romanée, Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux, La Grande Rue

premier cru

Aux Brulées, Beaux Monts, Cros Parantoux, Malconsorts, Petits Monts, Reignots, Les Suchots

TOP producers

domaine de la romanee-conti (DRC)

There is not much to say here that isn’t already known. Perhaps the greatest wine estate in the world, unmatched in quality, integrity, and pedigree… and price. Single bottles are routinely priced in the several thousands of dollars.

domaine du comte liger-belair

Since Louis-Michel Liger-Belair took over, this domaine has skyrocketed to the highest of echelons. Liger-Belair’s unassailably great portfolio of vineyards - including Aux Reignots, Les Chaumes, and the incomparable La Romanée - gets the respect it deserves from his winemaking touch, which is extraordinary. He is a natural, as his wines capture the ebullient red fruit of Vosne-Romanée in a beautifully gentle manner that has both energy and grace.

Domaine Leroy

Perhaps the only domaine that can match or even exceed DRC in Burgundy when it comes to quality. Domaine Leroy is fascinating, beguiling, and maddening, thanks to the animating spirit of its founder, Lalou Bize-Leroy, one of Burgundy’s greatest characters, who does things her own way - whether it’s a unique style of training the vines, or audaciously pricing some of her wines even above those of DRC. The wines are invariably charming, full of typicity, and exceedingly digestible.

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