Vosne Romanee Redux

2001 Rouget, Vosne Romanee
39.99
Jen’s Notes

Ever since our Burgundy tasting at K&L last year, Shane and I have been wanting to try another Vosne Romanee, an appellation in the Cotes du Nuits area of Burgundy. We picked this one up at Beltramo's in Menlo Park awhile back -- taking a bit of a chance, since we know comparatively little about Burgundy. It turned out to be an excellent deal.

We recommend decanting to filter out sediment (there was a small amount in our bottle) as well as to let the wine breathe - about 25 minutes should do it.

This wine is garnet-hued, with a nose of ripe, sweet strawberries, intermingled with my much-loved Burgundian funkiness (earth, leather).

On the palate, the wine is surprisingly fruity, with concentrated strawberry/dried cranberry flavors. There are also hints of licorice, violets and smoke. Though not particularly complex (I mean to say, this wine does not have the palate reverb/flavor expansion that we usually associate with Burgundies), this concentration makes for a succulent wine. The tannins are noticeable at the finish, which is quite long.

This wine is very enjoyable now, and would probably last another ten years or so. Because it lacks the gamy/funky flavors of some other Burgundies we have tasted, I would also recommend it for your first-ever Burgundy, if you are so inclined.