Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1° cru Aux Brûlées VV 2016
“(13.2% natural alcohol; 28 hectoliters per hectare produced in 2016; from a steep, mostly south-facing slope with good sun exposure but also a cooling influence from the combe to preserve acidity; from calcaire à chaille with no clay): Bright dark red. A step up in complexity on the nose from the foregoing wines, boasting a compelling perfume of raspberry, cranberry, licorice, menthol and rose petal. At once silky and cutting, offering a captivating combination of textural thickness and penetrating flavors of crushed red berries and stone. A terrific sappy fruit bomb with serious mineral tautness and grip. Finishes very long, with a fine dusting of tannins. The distinctive hot-cold balance of this site allows it to benefit from either cold or warm years, according to Clavelier.” 91-94/100 (Vinous)
“The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées Vieilles Vignes comes from vines planted just after the Second World War. It has a potent bouquet with a mixture of black and red fruit, a slight tinniness suggesting a touch of reduction at the moment, yet it is still very well defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with tannins that gently but insistently grip the mouth. It is deceptively approachable on the entry, the structure more perceptible toward the mineral-rich finish. It does not possess the persistence of say, a Les Suchots or Malconsorts, but this is more concerned with precision and tension. What a great wine from Bruno.” 93-95/100 (RP)
Bruno Clavelier makes some of the very finest Bourgognes. His wines are extremely varietal and full of finesse, showing the nuance differences between the various terroirs in a quasi-inimitable way. The wines do require several years of ageing, but your patience will be particularly rewarded.
This high-altitude cooler plot, but with a rapidly warming soil of “grèzes litées” gives a particularly complex, exciting wine with an extremely variegated bouquet. That tension is certainly found on the palate; something is happening in this finely crafted, intriguing wine.
