Cuvée 1913. As you might have guessed, this particular parcel of vines is coming up to a special anniversary. The nose has a dense core of fruit, again that characteristic note of ginger too. The fullest and roundest of the wines with a density and weight of extract that is clearly of grand cru level. The flavours just keep on going. This is simply a knockout wine.
The nose is wide, faintly caramel and shows a certain sweetness. In the mouth this is full and round, it also shows quite some cushioning – initially the acidity seems almost borderline, certainly after the last bottles – yet alone this is a wine that won’t leave you unrefreshed. Some herbs in a finish that has a certain sweetness – not unlike the nose!
The bottle, I’m afraid to say, seems the glass equivalent of a red sports car; heavy, and with a punt into which you could lose your arm. Clearly the nose ushers in the presence of quite a bit of oak, a little transient gunflint/struck match too, yet this is far from jarring wood, indeed it is very well polished. In the mouth I have a faint hint of surprise; despite a perfectly smooth texture, this is a wine that’s clearly cut from the chalk of Perrières; mineral with some 08 tension and undoubted density and intensity. There are a few other MPs that I might might prefer to drink, all of them lower priced, but this is a very fine wine – no discussion. I have the impression of pear fruit on the palate yet without a hint of obvious sweetness. Very good line into the considerable finish. Clearly I have listened to too much hearsay, because this is super wine.
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.
Medium colour. The nose has some herbal elements above an understated but quite complex mix of fruit; cherry, strawberry and eventually a long redcurrant note. There is a hint of spice too, though I’m not sure if it’s from the soil or the barrel. I find a herbal element on the palate too – not quite green, but hinting at green. The texture is reasonably smooth, and seems to have an element of weight – tannin is there as a faint rasp on the end of your tongue. Decent length in a red register. I expect this had a bit better balance 18 months ago; today it’s far from seemless, the acidity just seems to be approaching ‘sharp’ if not quite there yet, though sweet and sour with emphasis on the sour could certainly be used. Day three: (only stoppered and left at about 17°C) and this wine is suddenly delicious; all herbal references have faded to relative insignificance and the fruit has a beguiling, understated sweetness – how did that happen? I don’t know, but I’d buy it again now!
The nose starts broad and faintly of dark oak – slowly a pungent, dark, coconut cream begins to fill the glass, only very slowly are the granular, spicy notes one expects of Vosne to be found. In the glass this starts with a silky texture and a slightly bright though smooth acidity – which is the main component through the centre of the wine and into it’s finish. As the wine warms in the glass the finish first pads out with some of the dark flavours that match the nose. Over three hours this wine remains steady as a rock; acid led but not too much, with a freshness and stance that belies the vintage. I would say this is still very-much young and primary, it is certainly excellent in the context of the vintage.
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