Our tasting impressions
Exotic spice flavors so typical of Vosne-Romanée are beautifully delineated. Lovely and delicate. Gorgeous now but will put on some weight and flesh out. Drink now for the young, vivid fruit or hold 5-10 years for a more complex and earthy taste.
About this wine
The wines of Vosne-Romanée are the most coveted in Burgundy's Côte d'Or. They are prized for their complexity and exotic spice flavors and aromas.
This is an old vine, village wine (which can be from grapes anywhere within its appellation) from 3 Pinot Noir plots in southern Vosne-Romanée and ages 15 months in oak barrels - 45% new. It's named for Grand-mère Juliette.
About the grape
Pinot Noir is an ancient grape from eastern France. Notoriously challenging, it thrives in cooler climates. The concept of terroir is most closely identified with Burgundy because the lightness of Pinot Noir enables it to so transparently express minor differences (which is why experienced tasters can discern the difference in wines produced from vineyards in very close proximity). Intense popularity resulted in plantings all over the world but most agree that its finest expression is in the Côte d’Or of Burgundy.
The Rions' view of the vintage
Spring 2016 was wet & wild with unexpected cold fronts and heavy frosts at the end of April. Summer was pleasant and dry so while yields were extremely low, quality was high, though with significant variance among vineyards. The harvest began on September 24.
On your table…
Chicken thighs lightly dusted with Chinese five-spice powder would be a simple yet delicious complement. Vosne has Asian-accented spices and the dark meat provides welcome weight and fat for this young wine.
A true family affair, Armelle, Bernard and their daughters, Nelly, Melissa and Alice and her husband Louis, manage 7.5 hectares of vines producing 35,000 bottles of 14 wines across 8 appellations, including some of the most coveted ground in the Côte de Nuits. Five generations of this Rion family have been making wine since the late 19th century.
The Rions farm their mostly old-vine plots lutte-raisonnée (mostly natural and non-interventionist but within reason based on what nature dictates). Everything is done by hand, they destem completely, ferment 2-weeks in concrete tanks and age in a mix of old and new oak barrels.
Their wines are remarkably elegant and finessed while remaining true to the terroir of the different vineyards. While they do not display overt power, they do not want for structure and fortitude and are certainly age-worthy. They are heavenly with the truffles they forage with their 3 dogs.
