Putting aside the fact that this wine costs approaching the double of what yesterday’s Jean Tardy set me back, what price can you put on contentment, or rather lack of contentment? Here is a wine that leaves you contented…

2007 d’Eugénie, Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Brûlées
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is deep and padded with a hint of musk, fine spice and a creamy crust to the dark fruit aromas. Soft entry, but it’s a little glycerol cushioning that provides the softness, not a lack of structure or flabby fruit; here is a beautifully delineated wine – for a 2007 – clarity of flavour and clean-lines from the understated cool acidity, and even a good base of minerality. There’s a late arriving bitter twist to the serious fruit and finally just a little fine tannic texture. It would be easy to knock ‘Château Eugénie’, and this is certainly very, very polished wine but here is also a wine of class and distinction – the combination of those two words is a rarity in 2007 – not the absolute energy of a 2008 or 2010, but there’s something a little zen-like here.
Rebuy – Yes