2015 Vosne Romanee Les Hautes Maizieres

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Mazières comes from vines located just below Les Suchots on limestone soils, the same that are found in Mazis-Chambertin. Slightly darker in color than the other village crus, it has a lifted bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry and desiccated orange peel, the oak neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannin that imbues this with more edginess than the La Combe Brûlées. It remains linear, focused and strict, however, there is plenty of power on the fennel-tinged finish. This is excellent.

(23 hectoliters per hectare): Bright, dark red. Deeper but initially less expressive on the nose than the Combe Brûlée, with a dark cherry aroma lifted by building perfume of herbs, spices and white pepper. The palate boasts fleshiness and finesse, conveying a slightly Mediterranean but very fresh quality to its flavors of cherry, spices, lavender and thyme. Lovely integrated acidity and rather masculine tannins extend the very pure finish. Clavelier noted that these old vines may include up to 10% Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, which he says brings freshness and finesse while "lowering the tannicity" of the wine.

(55+ year old vines situated right below Suchots). Discreet wood influence blends with plenty of Vosne style spice that populates the layered mix of various floral, red berry and wisps of lavender. There is more volume and richness if less minerality to the sleek, textured and enveloping medium-bodied flavors that possess a seductive texture, all wrapped in a beautifully complex, firm and well-balanced finale. This is an excellent villages though one that will require at least a few years of cellaring first. Lovely. Dec 2016, www.burghound.com