This is something of a holy place for wine-lovers around the world. What do these thousands of tourists who travel along the Grands Crus route every year come to see? Romanée-Conti of course! Fewer than 2 hectares of vines produce barely 6,000 – 7,000 bottles of the most prestigious wine in Burgundy, perhaps even in the world. And that’s not all! Vosne-Romanée has 6 other Grands Crus on its territory. From north to south, these are Richebourg, Romanée Saint-Vivant, La Romanée, Grande Rue and La Tâche. “The best thing to be found in all Burgundy is this little corner in which it has concentrated its delights”, wrote Burgundy author and French historian Gaston Roupnel (1871-1946).
800,000 bottles are produced each year from an area covering 154 hectares, 10% of the volume of Côte de Nuits village reds.
A few words from the BIVB. I was fortunate then to be in receipt of an invitation the the ‘Vosne Millésime 2007’ on the 23rd March 2009. The cellars of a nondescript building halfway between the cellars of DRC and the Château du Vosne-Romanée crammed in 40 producers, each with a ‘stall’ that was no more than a selection of bottles atop their own personal barrel. We were (predictably) a little late so had only about 90 minutes to make the ‘tour’, so a creditable result to come back with 52 notes I think.
And the wines? I would say they perfectly showcase the vintage, and Vosne-Romanée is clearly a gifted village in the context of 2007. Similarly sweet red fruit and ripe tannins from all the producers – it can be difficult to differentiate after a while… Those with a darker fruit impression usually had darker oak-barrel notes attached to them too – the tail wagging the dog? Anyway very high quality overall, balance and yet differentiation between the vineyards – not a wine on display that I would be disappointed to see in my cellar and open at home over the coming months. A few new names for me in the alphabetical list that follows:
Domaine Robert Arnoux
Pascal LACHAUX
21700 Vosne–Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 08 41
Fax : 03 80 61 36 02
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 14,5 ha

Fresh, dense fruit on the nose. Concentrated and rather well textured. Good length and no obvious oak. A very nice introduction.

The nose shows some higher tones and herbal elements underpinned with pretty fruit. More concentrated and showing finer tannin than the ‘Vosne’, though much less tasty today. Again, very well crafted and no obvious oak.

Rather narrow aromas, but the linear beam of fruit is focused and goes quite deep. Good width and dimension in the mouth and with very nice mid-palate fruit. Not as sharply dressed as the previous two wines, but very good.

Weight, but not so much aromatic depth – faint spice over nice fruit. Very good fruit on the tongue that just about balances plenty of ripe tannin. Lovely mid-palate flavours. The finish is a shade oaky, but that will fade. Very, very good.

Fruit aromas that give a serious and very fine impression, eventually pretty red fruits. Really super-fine tannin that clings to your mouth helping the flavour linger for just that bit longer. More power, but today a little less dimension than the Suchots – will be very good though.
Domaine Bruno Clavelier
Bruno CLAVELIER
6 route Nationale
21700 Vosne–Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 10 81
Fax : 03 80 61 04 25
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 6,10 ha

High-toned red fruits. Nice concentration and plenty of ripe, grainy tannin. Good acidity and plenty of excitement in the mid-palate. This is long too – a super villages.

A good impact of fruit on the nose. Similarly sweet, ripe fruit in the mouth. The tannin makes a small grab for the inside of your mouth, but it’s not astringent. Long finishing. This is another excellent villages.

Real width and interest on the nose, though it doesn’t go very deep. Sweet, ripe fruit. Quite concentrated and with good grainy tannin. A really excellent mid-palate and finish.

This is also wide and interesting but the aromas have more depth. Wow! Complexity of fruit and herbs, good tannin and a lovely mix of flavours in the mid-palate. Super length too. A super wine.
Domaine Christian Clerget
Christian CLERGET
21640 Vougeot
Tél. : 03 80 62 87 37
Fax : 03 80 62 84 37
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 6 ha

Width, and a nice density to the aromas. Ripe and fresh with grainy tannin. Nice width and a good finish. Without seeing the price, what’s not to like? This is very nice.

Faint caramel, otherwise a tight showing for the nose. Wide and quite interesting flavours, but the fuit seems a little less pretty than most. No faults, not much excitement either.
Domaine Forey Père et Fils
Régis FOREY
2 rue Derrière le four
21700 Vosne–Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 09 68
Fax : 03 80 61 12 63
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 8 ha

A nice density of fruit on the nose. Sweet, but not too sweet fruit and some savoury elements. Good tannin grab and overall dimension. Very nice this.

Wide and quite complex – decent depth too. Similarly complex impression in the mouth with dimensions of sweet fruit and good grainy tannin. Long, with lots of flavour. Very nice.

A composed nose that seems very sure of its class! – dense, imperious fruit. Complexity and freshness, plenty of ripe tannin and merely good dimension in the mid-palate. High-class Vosne.

Wide and fresh aromatics that mingle herbs with the base fruit. This is good – lots of concentration, good ‘fat’ complex and impressive. Very nice.
Domaine François Gerbet
Marie–Andrée et Chantal GERBET
2 Route Nationale
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 07 85
Fax : 03 80 61 01 65
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 10 ha

High tones and lots of pretty red fruits on the nose. Sweet red fruit and a grainy tannin that slowly creeps up on you. . Balancing acidity and a good long finish. A nice start.

There’s more depth of fruit on the nose after the ‘basic’ Vosne. Again the fruit profile is sweet, though this label wears a little more tannin and excitement in the mid-palate. Similar length of finish, but here the flavour shows a little more barrel today. Very good.

A good width of fruit on the nose – it’s more complex than the last wine, but not quite so deep. In the mouth there’s a clear step-up in intensity and flavour – very nice, lingering red fruit and good, fine tannin. Very nice wine.

Aromas of deep red fruit if not that much width. After the Petits Monts this is more sumptuous though less complex. Decent tannin and a little dark oak flavour. A lovely finish borne of nice acidity.

High-tones over a tighter core of red fruit. Wide and showing much more muscle than the Suchots. Plenty of tannin but good flavours also. Finishes very long, still with a sensation of the ripe tannins.
Domaine Jean Grivot
Etienne GRIVOT
6 rue de la Croix Rameau
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél : 03 80 61 05 95
Fax : 03 80 61 32 99
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 14,89 ha

A good, quite transparent melange of red and black fruits. Seems less obviously ripe and sweet versus most wines – a hint of licorice and good ripe tannin. Plenty of structure though nothing obviously out of place.

High tones dominate, perhaps a little diffuse but over a good core of red fruit. Wow – density and ‘gras’ that few of the 1ers replicate – yet with good balancing acidity. Plenty of ripe tannin, super wine here with a tannin-laden finish.

Wide and quite complex, the nose shows a melange of fruit. Mouth-filling with lots of very ripe tannin and many dimensions of flavour. Less obviously fresh than some but regardless, this is super.
Domaine Anne Gros
Anne GROS
11 rue des Communes
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 07 95
Fax : 03 80 61 23 21
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 6,5 ha

Aromas that are high toned and a little floral. Ripe, sweet fruit, good concentration and a faint grain to the tannin. Some barrel flavour on the finish, but this is still rather good.

Quite a red cherry/berry nose. Intense with good fruit and quite some structure. The fruit-driven finish seems to fade a little quicker than I would like.

The nose is deep and a little oaky, but below shines nice dark fruit. Super in the mouth – almost unexpected after the nose – silky with a concentrated depth yet no overpowering density. Strikingly well balanced.
Domaine Anne–Françoise GROS
Anne–Françoise PARENT–GROS
5 grande Rue La Garelle
21630 Pommard
Tél. : 03 80 22 61 85
Fax : 03 80 24 03 16
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 10 ha

Dark red fruit aromas and a little spice. Very nice ripe fruit dimension – lovely villages – though there’s a dark aspect from the barrels. Good acidity and length.

Dark oak notes and a little black olive greet your nose. Not as friendly fruit as many and a little more structured. Decent length though.

The nose is more red fruit ‘driven’ than the 07, though black fruit is still in the mix. A little more fat, but more oak flavour too. Good width and a nice, mouth-watering finish.

High-toned aromas. Wide on the palate and showing very nice fruit. Good mid-palate dimension too. Oak texture and some flavour too on the finish, but still a very nice wine.

A floral top note and sweet red fruit – subtle rather than forceful. In the mouth the fruit is wonderful and the ample tannin straddles the border between silk and velvet. There’s plenty of barrel flavour too, but it can’t obscure the quality of everything around it. Super length and very fine.
Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur
Bernard GROS
6 rue des Grands Crus
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 12 43
Fax : 03 80 61 34 05

High toned with pretty red fruits. Ripe and sweet in the mouth with some grainy tannin. Decent mid-palate complexity. Not too much wood – this is very nice.

Declassified Echézeaux from vines that are about 10 years old. Slightly more diffuse aromatics. In the mouth there’s just a little more width and more tannin too – but fine tannin. It’s okay, slightly less charming than the basic villages, but there are better ‘values’ in this vintage.

A sweet and nicely focused nose. In the mouth it’s full and intense and coupled to slightly grainy tannins – what a difference a few more vine years makes! Good length with plenty of barrel flavour. Good wine.

The nose his nice depth, but less width than the Echézeaux. Intense with some slightly savoury flavours – also the acidity seems a little tart. Good length, but versus many other wines here – probably not worth the tariff.

A very pretty floral aspect to the nose, floating above lovely fruit. Width and complexity and intensity. Then a reprise of the flavours after the mid-plate as you go into a super finish. A wine that’s so good, it plays tricks on you!
Domaine Michel Gros
Michel GROS
7 rue des Communes
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 04 69
Fax : 03 80 61 22 29
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 19 ha

Very floral, intense red fruit on the nose – certainly not shy! Sweet fruit that almost seems to have a salty edge to it. Good penetrating flavours and finally some oak texture on the finish. Really rather good.

Deep and less floral than the ‘Vosne’, but again quite an intense nose. In the mouth there’s also intensity of flavour and reasonable tannin behind it. The acidity is just a little bright and there’s plenty of oak on the finish.

Deep and aromatic with herbs over tight red fruit. Concentrated with plenty of tannin. A good mid-plate punch and flavours that fade well. Short note, but good wine.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet
Jean-Nicolas MÉO
11 rue des Grands Crus
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 55 55
Fax : 03 80 61 11 05
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 16,4 ha

Pretty and focused red fruit aromas. Mouth-filling, with more fat than most villages wines. Very nice (as always) sweet red fruit. Has good acidity that seems to extend the finish. High quality.

Not so focused but clearly more complex aromas. Full and friendly impression in the mouth. There is plenty of tannin, but you really have to chew to find it. Slowly, slowly lingering. A very pretty wine.

High-toned, complex and focused aromas – this is very good. Executive texture of crushed velvet. Largely background acidity. Very long finishing, and it’s on a pure fruit note. This is super.
Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret
Vincent MONGEARD
14 rue de la fontaine
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 11 95
Fax : 03 80 62 35 75
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 30 ha

Red and very pretty fruit on the nose. Very sweet (and still) pretty red fruit on your tongue. Good acidity and a very, very good length for a villages-level wine. This is very, very nice.

Wide aromas of red fruit that is initially ‘pretty’ then shows super depth. In the mouth there’s really lots of dimension. This is very complex and interesting. It’s not as well knit as some, but then it’s not been in bottle very long. This should be super.
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg
Marie-Christine et Marie-Andrée MUGNERET
5 rue des Communes
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 80 61 01 57
Fax : 03 80 61 33 08
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 5,90 ha

In bottle for a month from a mix of 70 and 25 year-old vines. Lovely, pure, fruit-driven aromas that seem almost silky. In the mouth there’s super texture and is one of those rare villages wines that show gras (or fat). Lovely balance and concentration that follows beautifully into the finish. Excellent villages.

A deeper nose than the villages, but also showing less width and intensity. Super flavour – tannin with a faint grain and a super length. Super.

Higher-toned than the aromas of the two 07’s, with slightly redder fruit than the 07 Echézeaux. A little more structure, plenty of fine tannin, but equally good fruit. This seems more guarded or tighter but it’s clearly very good.

Width though not that much depth to the aromatics. A pretty red and black fruit mix, and super width on the palate. Very fine expansion into the mid-plate before slowly lingering. Makes a strong impression.
Domaine Perrot-Minot
Christophe PERROT–MINOT et Amaury DEVILLARD
54 route des Grands Crus
21220 Morey Saint Denis
Tél. : 03 80 34 32 51
Fax : 03 80 34 13 57
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 14 ha

Tight and rather more savoury aromas than most. Width and plenty of ripe tannin on the tongue. Decent acidity and a striking finish – clearly the best aspect of the wine.

Not as deeply coloured as the villages wine. Perhaps a hint of reduction on the nose. Good but not exceptional width, but the real interest lies in the mid-plate where there is dimension and complexity. Decent finish.
Domaine Cecile Tremblay
Cécile TREMBLAY
1 rue de la Fontaine
21700 Vosne Romanée
Tél. : 03 45 83 60 08
Fax : 03 80 23 95 09
Superficie totale de l’exploitation : 4 ha

50-60 year-old vignes which kept 80% of their stems during fermentation. – only 14 days in bottle. High-toned with red-fruit dominated aromas. Lots of concentration and that rare element of ‘gras’. Plenty of structure and long finishing. Complex and far from the fruit-driven ‘mold’ of most here.

100% of the stems retained during the fermentation, it’s been assembled for 1 month, but is still not in bottle. Beautiful fruit on the nose, which is wide but also shows depth and focus – hauntingly good as a beacon of pure red emerges. Width and grainy tannin on the palate that clings to the mouth – but in doing so it adheres flavour so that the finish is even longer. Stands out both for its individuality and complexity – excellent.
There are 2 responses to “Vosne-Romanée: 2007’s in Bottle”
Bill, I thought the Bruno Clavelier stuff was superb, like yourself. Maybe the best village wine I’ve had from 2007. Gorgeous and succulent. Quite something to see people crowding around trying to see the wine and knocking back Méo-Camuzet while they waited :). That said, the Méo-Camuzet wines looked very good as well.
Personally, I was disappointed by the Robert Arnoux wines which I found overly sour. Still, these were bottled only very recently, it’s almost unfair to comment on wines that seem to have shown poorly.
The other factor was that it must have been 35C in that cave.
Hi Gavin,
I can see some evolution of style chez Arnoux; the villages and ‘smaller’ 1ers were always pretty good wines despite their poor value from a cost perspective, yet the Echézeaux and particularly the Suchots was (since at least 99) butter smooth from the oak treatment – good as they were, I felt them too ‘manipulated’. The last couple of vintages have been for me ‘cleaner’ ie less oaky. I didn’t notice any sourness personally…
Bill