2014 Patrice Rion Vougeot 1er cru les Cras

Like I said, every parcel is quite unique…..from one of the 4 Vougeot 1er crus; yes, there is a town of Vougeot, with the vast majority of its vineyards being the Clos de Vougeot. and then there are four 1ers just north of the walls of the Clos, just below le Musigny. They do tend to be baby Clos de Vougeot like, in solid mineral core, mildly austere structured finish, and sense of depth of flavor.

Completely changing gears, we’ve entered an entirely other register of darker savory fruits, with both a sense of mineral and lightly tannic austerity that brings to mind the Clos de Vougeot just below it. This one is packed with substance, and will evolve beautifully over the mid term and beyond moreso than offering easy early flattery. A great example of this rare-as-hen’s-teeth Vougeot 1er.

“Reduction completely dominates the nose at present. Otherwise there is excellent intensity to the detailed and mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that possesses good focus on the robust and tautly muscular flavors that culminate in a youthfully austere finish. This actually reminds me of a scaled down version of Clos de Vougeot. (89-92)/2022+” – Allan Meadows