2012 Vosne Romanee La Croix Rameaux

The 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru La Croix Rameau comes from a tiny 0.21-hectare parcel of vines tucked into a plot between Romanee-Saint Vivant and the outbuildings of the village (there are just three exploitants.) It has a rounded, pastille-like purity on the nose: strawberry and just a hint of mulberry at the moment, developing nicely in the glass though. The palate is harmonious on the entry with light tannins, clean fresh and quite linear red cherry and raspberry fruit that segues into an edgy, citric finish that is very appealing. This is a lovely, unpretentious premier cru. Domaine Francois Lamarche is renowned for its monopole La Grande Rue that lies on the opposite side of the road from Romanee-Conti, although its history is far less illustrious, at least until recent times when it has been great to see this domaine’s wines radically improving. La Grande Rue was apparently a wedding gift to Henri Lamarche given in 1933 (better than a toaster) although the monopole was not even a grand cru until a rare promotion in 1992, albeit at a time when it was recognized that yields were way too high. Nicole Lamarche has been the winemaker here since 2007, whilst her sister Nathalie is in charge of marketing along with her aunt. The harvest commenced on 22 September and lasted for five or six days and all cuvees include around 30% whole cluster fruit and underwent long malo-lactic fermentation. The samples were taken directly from stainless steel tank and will be bottled in approximately three months’ time. The wines of this domaine have a distinct style. They have always been lighter than their peers, prioritizing finer tannins and more red fruit than black. Just taste through say, Bernard Gros’ and Lamarche’s wines one after the other and you see for yourself two dichotomous expressions of the same patch of earth. I have a penchant for Lamarche’s style of Pinot Noir and appreciated and praised recent vintages, although apropos these 2012s, I have to admit that I was seeking just a little more substance, a touch more conviction percolating through. I enjoyed them, but mentally I found myself wanting to “gee them up”, muster more vigor and flair. Importer: Domaines et Saveurs Collection (agent), Madame Jeanne-Marie Dechamps, Route de Dijon, 21200 Beaune; Tel: 3 80 225 816 and through Fields, Morris & Verdin (UK)