Vosne-Romanée wine
Encyclopedia
Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy in eastern France.-Population:-Wine:It produces the region's most celebrated wines, all made entirely from the Pinot Noir grape: "There can be little doubt that in the firmament of the Cote de nuits, Vosne-Romanée is the brightest...
in Côte de Nuits
Côte de Nuits
The Côte de Nuits is a French wine region located in the northern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is at the heart of the Burgundy wine region. It extends from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, which gives its name to the district and is the regional center...
of Burgundy
Burgundy wine
Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as "Burgundies" - are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from...
as well as in the neighbouring commune of Flagey-Échezeaux
Flagey-Echézeaux
Flagey-Echézeaux is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-Wine:Flagey-Echézeaux is home to two Grand Cru vineyards, Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux. Most of the other vineyards of the commune is part of the Vosne-Romanée appellation, and there is no "Flagey-Echézeaux"...
. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) Vosne-Romanée may only be used for red wine with Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
as the main grape. There are a total of 15 Premier Cru vineyards in the two communes, as well as six Grand Cru vineyards in Vosne-Romanée and two in Flagey-Échezeaux. These Grand Cru vineyards include Burgundy's most iconic, sought-after and expensive red wines, with Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the sole grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Société Civile du Domaine de la...
of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, often abbreviated to DRC, is an estate in Burgundy, France that produces white and red wine. It is widely considered among the world's greatest wine producers, and DRC bottles are among the world's most expensive...
at the pinnacle: "There can be little doubt that in the firmament of the Cote de nuits, Vosne-Romanée is the brightest star"
There is no Flagey-Échezeaux appellation; the village and Premier Cru vineyards of this commune are part of the Vosne-Romanée AOC.
In 2008, 153.6 hectares (379.6 acre) of vineyard surface was in production for Vosne-Romanée wine at village and Premier Cru level, and 5,955 hectoliter of wine was produced, corresponding to almost 800,000 bottles. Within both communes, there are also vineyards (on the flatter land to the east of the N74 road) which are only entitled to the regional Bourgogne appellation.
Mostly to the eat of the town are the vineyards that are only entitled to the village appellation: "97 ha, mainly of thin but well-drained clay-limestone soils, topped with a pebbles and limestone scree. These produce wines which balance depth and richness with elegance and breed; often described as silky, they areusually marked by finesse and perfume which, togeher with their natural power, age beautifully ... [The premier crus in Vosne] occupy some 57 ha, often on slopes of up to 15%, and are mainly exposed to either the east or south-east. These soils tend to have less dept and contain a higher proportion of limestone than those in the village vineyards and the topsoil is mainly scree, making for excellent drainage. Quality is consistently high but there are marked differences in style"
The AOC regulations allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
and Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this is not practiced to any greater extent. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliter per hectare and the grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10.5 per cent potential alcohol for village-level wine and 11.0 per cent for Premier Cru wine.
Characteristics
The style of Vosne-Romanée wines is often described as a combination of elegance and power. The best (and most expensive) Grand Cru wines of this village are often seen as the ultimate expression of Pinot Noir: "Vosne, the pearl of the Cote! the vineyards assembled here are the choice of its greatest crus: Romanée and Richebourg, Tache and Suchots, noble wines of velvet, fire, and exquisite grace. Burgundy has made nothing better than this small corner where it has reunited its enchantments, and put into the wines the tender generosity of its genius" "Vosne-Romanée is the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth ... style is for wines which are rich, austere, masculine and aristocratic" "They should combine ... a delicate but well-defined bouquet, a stylish, velvety depth of flavour and lingering but firm finish ... Racy, elegant wines" They often require significant cellaring to develop fully. "this magnificent vineyard which, in its ensemble, is the premier of he Cote-d'Or. Body, mellowness, extreme finesse and heightened bouquet, it unites all the desirable qualities. This eulogy without reservation is contested by no one."Premiers Crus
A number of climatCLIMAT
CLIMAT is a code for reporting monthly climatological data assembled at land-based meteorological surface observation sites to data centres. CLIMAT-coded messages contain information on several meteorological variables that are important to monitor characteristics, changes, and variability of climate...
s in the Vosne-Romanée AOC are classified as Premier Cru vineyards; 12 in Vosne-Romanée and 3 in Flagey-Échezeaux. Their wines are designated Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru + vineyard name, such as Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots. They may also be labelled just Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru, in which case it is possible to blend wine from several Premier Cru vineyards within the AOC. In 2007, these vineyards totalled 54.85 hectares (135.5 acre).
"Quality is consistently high but there are marked differences in style. ... in the top rank but in a fresher syle due to their high altitude are Reignots, Cros Parantoux, Beaux Monts and Brulées. In a similar vein but less intense is Les Rouges"
In the commune of Vosne-Romanée:
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In the commune of Flagey-Échezeaux:
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Grands Crus
Vosne-Romanée itself has six Grand Cru vineyards, La TâcheLa Tâche AOC
La Tâche is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Domaine de la Romanée-Conti...
of 5.03 hectares (12.4 acre) in 2008, La Grande Rue
La Grande Rue
La Grande Rue is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety.- Wine style :...
of 1.65 hectares (4.1 acre), La Romanée
La Romanée
La Romanée is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Comte Liger-Belair...
of 0.85 hectares (2.1 acre), Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the sole grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Société Civile du Domaine de la...
of 1.63 hectares (4 acre), Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Romanée-Saint-Vivant is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée...
of 9.3 hectares (23 acre) and Richebourg of 7.4 hectares (18.3 acre), and Flagey-Échezeaux has two further, Echézeaux
Échezeaux
Échezeaux is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety. Échezeaux is located within the commune of Flagey-Echézeaux, on a strip of land between the territory of the communes...
of 34.79 hectares (86 acre) and Grands Échezeaux
Grands Échezeaux
Grands Échezeaux is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the main grape variety. Grands Échezeaux is located within the commune of Flagey-Echézeaux, on a strip of land between the territory of the...
of 7.53 hectares (18.6 acre). Romanée-Conti and La Tâche are monopole
Monopole (wine)
A monopole is an area controlled by a single winery and can be as small as a lieu-dit or as large as an entire appellation d'origine contrôlée, such as Bordeaux or Champagne. Frequently this is mentioned on the label and it is rare for only one winery to produce all the wine from an area...
s of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, often abbreviated to DRC, is an estate in Burgundy, France that produces white and red wine. It is widely considered among the world's greatest wine producers, and DRC bottles are among the world's most expensive...
, La Grande Rue is a monopole of Domaine Lamarche
Domaine Lamarche
Domaine Lamarche is winery in the Burgundian village of Vosne-Romanée. The domaine was founded in 1797.Its vineyard holdings include Clos Vougeot, Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, and the monopole La Grande Rue....
and La Romanée is a monpole of Comte Liger-Belair.