2004 Clos Vougeot

Finally, one mature(ish) vintage that Mounir wanted me to try. The 2004 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which I afforded as much decanting and vigorous shaking as possible, has a pretty nose of sour cherry, raspberry leaf and a touch of melted tar, fortunately with none of the “green meanies” that can afflict many of the reds in this vintage. There is a slight Piedmontese tincture that becomes evident with aeration. The palate is well-balanced, not complex or powerful, but it is detailed with well judged acidity and impressive extraction toward the finish, lending it a little more horsepower than many of its peers. This is drinking well now and over the next several years. Prior to launching into Maison Lucien de Moine’s 2012 reds with irrepressible winemaker Mounir Saouma, we revisited some of his 2011s that are now in bottle. To recap, Mounir is one of the last Burgundy producers to bottle his wines, since he is a great believer in extended elevage. There is a clutch of outstanding wines in this vintage, particularly at the grand cru level, where one must admire the consistency across the board. As always, readers are reminded that Lucien Le Moine’s wines are made in a stringently reductive method, therefore they always need more decanting time than other growers. Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639