2011 Vosne Romanee Clos du Chateau Monopole

Tasted at the Comte Liger-Belair vertical at the Château de Vosne. The 2011 Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château is muted on the nose - something that is apparent after the 2009 and 2010 vintages. It demands coaxing from the glass. The palate is more open for business with sappy red fruit, crisp acidity, superb balance and a gentle grip on the finish. Afford this four or five years in bottle. Tasted June 2015.

Louis-Michel Liger-Belair has decided to start bottling his Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château a little earlier than in the past, which seems like a good idea, as the wine can sometimes be a bit fragile. Autumn leaves, sweet red cherries, tobacco and dried flowers waft from the glass. As is always the case, the Clos du Château is delicate, fleeting and quite savory in style.

Louis-Michel’s monopole in the middle of the village, the 2011 Vosne-Romanee Clos du Chateau has a solid, confident bouquet with bright red and black berries that, compared to the Colombiere, are only too pleased to strut their stuff! The palate is fresh, crisp and taut on the entry and it builds gently toward a pure, caressing finish. This year, the Clos du Chateau represents a leap up from the other Vosne Village Crus. Drink 2014-2019. I have been following Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair since the beginning of their “second coming” in 2001/2002, when Louis-Michel began taking back control of his propitiously located vineyards. Crowned by the monopole of La Romanee, they already had a head start, a scattering of parcels that instantly places the domaine in the first division. But that is not enough on its own. Over the last decade, the wines have become astonishingly refined and let us be frank, with prices to match. During the round of London tastings in January this year I refrained from taking any notes since Burgundy was not my ‘beat’. However, I did make an exception here, in part because of the sheer quality of the wines and also because it has become part of my January ritual. The original intention was to accommodate these notes on “Wine-Journal”, but I publish them here as part of my 2011 report for “The Wine Advocate”. Importers: Grand Cru Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 974-2500; and in the UK through Justerini & Brooks; tel. 0081339945935