2001 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux

The 2001 Vosne-Romanée Clos Parantoux 1er Cru is a vintage that I have not encountered since 2011, but this is a better bottle. It is quite deep in colour. The nose is stunning with more black than red berries, struck flint and briary. The propitious nature of this Premier Cru really sings through, plus there is a slight reduction that works to its benefit. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grain tannins, impressive depth with black truffle and morels towards the persistent finish. Again, there is a slight reduction at play, though it works to its benefit. It is a very composed Cros Parantoux and it is probably just beginning to reach its plateau of maturity. Tasted at Empire restaurant in Hong Kong.

Soy sauce and black cherries are found in the aromatic profile of the tight 2001 Vosne-Romanee Cros Parentoux. It displays excellent intensity to its black fruit and ink-flavored personality. Regrettably, this wine’s compressed, tannic finish kept it from earning a higher score. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2009. According to Jean-Nicolas Meo, this estate’s director and winemaker, “2001 is a good vintage, more strict and severe than 1999 and 2000, with more acidity and bite, less fat, and more austere. It has good cellaring potential because the balance of the wines is excellent.” Meo’s 2001s were particularly successful, with fleshy, fruit-filled personalities. For the most part, the firm, rustic tannin found in many of his colleagues’ 2001s (the majority of which are not recommended) was not detected in any of his offerings. That may be because Meo waited longer to harvest (as he states), extracted more delicately, or because he’s one of the few Burgundians to stir the lees of his reds (which builds flesh)... or a combination of the three. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Soaring black and red fruit notes and incredibly spicy and complex aromas of earth, anise, soft espresso and pinot extract lead to fresh, stunningly precise and strikingly intense, medium full flavors and flat out great length. Mouth coating, dusty and perfectly balanced and if this adds a bit of weight over the coarse of the additional élevage, this could very well surprise on the upside though it already is one gorgeous wine. Allen Meadows, Burghound Jan01,2003