2001 Corton Clos Rognet

Deep red-ruby. Currant, black plum, minerals and torrefaction notes of tar and smoke. Moderately rich and fat, but a bit less structured and deep than the best vintages for this cuvee A bit youthfully tough on the back end, but offers very good length.

Deep, intense aromas of blackberry jam are found in the nose of the 2001 Corton. Medium-bodied, it expands on the palate, revealing gorgeously pure red fruits and blueberries. Unlike most of Meo’s other 2001s, this wine reveals a hint of the tightness that is often encountered in this vintage’s red Burgundies. That being said, it is a gorgeous, concentrated, and fruit-filled offering, with a fresh, expressive character. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2012. 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

Bright dark red. Sappy, scented nose combines liqueur-like cherry and redcurrant, minerals, bitter chocolate and flowers. Dense, sweet and chewy, with lovely intensity and clarity of red fruit flavors. Rather open for this wine at this stage, with a pleasing balance. Perhaps less energetically extracted than in previous years. This wine typically ferments slowly, says Meo, so we can't do the same number of punchdowns as for our other wines or we'd get too much extraction. Big, rich, long finish shows strong chocolatey oak.