2001 Clos de la Roche
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Tasting notes
(from a 375-ml. bottle): Palish, browning color but a bit more red in the middle than the Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru. Fresher than that wine as well in spite of the smaller bottle format, offering very ripe aromas of redcurrant and smoke, with a note of fresh meat emerging with aeration. Turns darker in the mouth, showing a faint pruney quality. A very rich wine with good depth of flavor, this has the mid-palate stuffing to support its late-arriving, slightly dusty tannins. Seems fully evolved, but I suspect that regular 750-ml. bottles are more youthful. (Laurent told me he has only four 750s and eight magnums remaining of this wine. He noted that there "wasn't a lot of sun influence here" and that the 2001 Clos de la Roche was dominated by its acidity in the early years but is showing more terroir character now.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Pierre Rovani
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A wonderfully complex and notably ripe nose that is still restrained and tight is followed by big, concentrated and very powerful large-scaled flavors blessed with stunning length. This is relatively understated for such a big wine but there is plenty of structure and extraction plus it packs plenty of flavor authority here. In short, this is a very classy wine of both power and elegance. Note that my original drinking window was unduly optimistic and this will clearly require more time than I originaly foresaw. Consistent experience with multiple bottles.
Bright red-ruby. Pure, discreet aromas of black fruits and licorice. Dense, sweet and highly concentrated, with a sappy core of acidity giving verve to the dark berry and floral flavors. A wine with terrific nervosite, without being at all hard. Wonderfully long and aromatic, with firm tannins in perfect balance with the wine's fruit.
Lively black fruits and fresh herbs are found in the nose of the medium to dark ruby-colored 2001 Clos de la Roche. Tightly-wound and exhibiting loads of tannin, it has outstanding depth of blackberry, cassis, and blueberry fruit. Medium-bodied and well-balanced, it appears to have the requisite fruit to sustain its firm character. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2010. Importer: Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990