Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget 2019

A cooler and slightly fresher nose reflects notes of ripe dark berries, exotic tea, soy, clove, star anise and discreet but not imperceptible wood. There is lovely cut and minerality to the tension-filled and attractively textured medium weight flavors that conclude in a focused, powerful, youthfully austere and noticeably warm finale. Like the Echézeaux, I would describe this as impressive but nonetheless, atypical vintage for this incredibly storied wine. Outstanding

Rouget produced nine barrels of the 2019 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux, and it was here, he told me, that he began his harvest in the Côte de Nuits. Unfurling in the glass with notes of cherries, rose petals, smoke, warm spices and toasty new oak, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a rich, textural profile, underpinned by lively acids and youthfully chalky tannins. While it's still a very powerful Cros Parantoux, it's less extreme in profile than this year's Echézeaux.

100% new wood. Intense purple without the black. The nose is all in the fruit, not quite so intense. The wood adds a gloss without detracting, this is all about the fruit which has a mind boggling intensity and can carry the degree easily, stretches out much further behind. Better acidity too. This is very complete and absolutely marvellous. It has unquestionably held on to its balance. Thanks to what Emmanuel Rouget calls a salivating acidity. Tasted: November 2020