If you’re lucky, very lucky, then you might be offered some of the 2010 vintage from Domaine d’Eugenie. I say lucky because, as is too often the case with serious Burgundy, there is very little of it and, as is pretty much invariably the case with the 2010 vintage in Burgundy, there is even less than usual. Bugger.
Domaine d’Eugenie comprises of the vineyards of what was Domaine Engel. Philippe Engel died (far too young) in 2005. I never met the man but having heard many stories of him I wish I had. Francois Pinault (owner of a great deal but notably Ch. Latour and Christie’s) bought the vineyards and the renamed Domaine d’Eugenie made its first vintage in 2006. The man in charge is Frederic Engerer, regisseur at Latour and, briefly summed up: a man who knows exactly what he is doing. There are a few of these in the business that is making wine. Mr Engerer is part of an elite handful that genuinely impress me both as winemakers and as men.
I’ve done d’Eugenie before HERE. The wines are getting better and better as FE and his team understand their vines and vineyards more and more. The inferior part of Brulees now goes into the villages; the Clos d’Eugenie is made on its own.
Vineyards have character and, like people, the better you understand the character the more you can get from it. I reckon that this is already one of the best addresses in Vosne. If they carry on getting better then Aubert de Villaine will be looking over his shoulder…
My notes:
2010 Vosne-Romanee
“Bottled in December. Some cherry fruit and real focus on the nose. And this is all here and clearly the finished product in the mouth. Clean. Pure. This is a villages but pretty much perfect for what it is. All in place.”
2010 Vosne-Romanee, Clos d’Eugenie
This is the garden of the domaine, if you like. I’d quite like a garden like this…
“There is definitely more here. More depth and again im mouth. This really is rather classy. Pure and clean like the villages and with some muscle coming through. This has premier cru depth. Really rather excellent. Yes.”
2010 Vosne-Romanee 1er cru, Aux Brulees
“Not bottled then but is now. A darky. I am looking for the telltale smoky bacon but it is definitely there. And some real chunkiness in mouth. This really is rather special and has a bite to it to balance the weight. Exceptionally well-tailored (I’m thinking silk), with character underneath the suit.”
2010 Echezeaux
“This is a little tight but with incredible finely-tuned and complex structure (Maserati birdcage: google image it). Real lift. And very, very serious (VFS) in mouth. Sabre sharp. These are seriously, seriously good. Oh yes.”
2010 Grands-Echezeaux
“This is a little more open on the nose today. More loose-knit. Very special again and more weight, more chunk, in the mouth. Today I prefer the Echezeaux but this is perhaps the better wine.”
2010 Clos de Vougeot
An aside: this is a peach of a plot in the Clos (a vineyard that is probably larger than in should be)
“Blended just as it goes into barrel rather than just before bottling (some is vinified with stems, some not). This has exceptional focus with some real Clos de Vougeot “crunch”. And again in mouth. Very complete. Very, very good. Indeed quite exceptional. Cashmere rather than silk. You will do well do find a better Clos de Vougeot.”
Scores if I did them would be high 80s/low 90s for the villages, early 90s for the Clos, solid mid-90s for the Brulees and top 90s for the rest. Top wine.
If you are offered these wines: buy them.
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