2011 Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts

The 2011 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru is a step down in intensity from the 2009 and 2010: leafy red fruit, forest floor, the stem addition here jutting out a little more than previous vintages. The palate is soft and mellow on the entry, again, the stem addition dictating the style of the wine rather than the terroir, attractive in its own way. But I would have preferred more depth and fruité on the linear, rather low-key finish. Is there more to come? Tasted at Flint Wines's Domaine Dujac tasting in London.

Light bricky ruby. Lifted and pretty red-cherry aroma. So much fruit fragrance and more open than the 2013. Less ripe on the palate than some, no unripeness but a touch herbal/dusty on the palate and a little bit dry on the finish. Fresh enough but not as strong as the vintages tasted so far today. (JH)

The 2011 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts, which was tasted blind, was instantly identifiable as Dujac since that attractive stemmy character was evident on the nose, here intermixed with iodine, black fruit, tree bark and a hint of green bell pepper. The palate is medium-bodied and conveys the structure that one seeks in a Malconsorts. It feels primal and (of course) unready, suggesting that four or five years will be necessary to see this in full flight. It is a very decent Malconsorts even if I have tasted much better from Malconsorts from the domaine in the past. Tasted August 2016.