2017 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Clos Vougeot

The 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru offers lilting red berry fruit laced with cola and crushed stone on the nose, although I would have liked more presence and intensity at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin and quite masculine in style. The rather simple finish needs more mineralité . Personally, I prefer some of the Premier Crus from the domaine this year. Maybe this just did not shine on the day.

A pretty, cool and restrained nose reluctantly offers up notes of red currant, earth, humus and a hint of violet, all of which is trimmed in a discreet application of wood. The vibrant and detailed flavors are not especially concentrated (though they're certainly not dilute) but I like the punch plus the moderately austere finish is more refined than it typically is. Solid if not sensational quality here.

Aromas of wild berries, cassis, incense, smoked duck and rose hip introduce the 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that's quite charming and open-knit by the standards of Clos Vougeout and even by the standards of this routinely elegant cuvée. Framed by fine-grained tannins, it's pure, fleshy and elegant, and it should shine at a comparatively early age.