The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Uutiset
Like 1999, the 2006 growing season saw cycles of intense heat and heavy rain that encouraged the growth of botrytis. However, as de Villaine points out, with these difficulties came opportunity. A hot, dry September accelerated the ripening process, yielding fruit with depth of character and balance similar to that of 2005. All eight of the 2006 releases exhibit seamless clarity and focus, from the aromatic Montrachet (about $2,080–$2,300)—with its scents of honeycomb, graham cracker, and lime lozenge—to the silky-textured La Romanée-Conti ($3,100–?$3,445). Yet the Cuvée Duvault-Blochet ($225–$250), made with Pinot Noir grapes from the domaine’s grand cru vineyards, may in its youth most eloquently express the promise of 2006. "The character of the vintage," says de Villaine, "is purity and transparency," traits abundant in this Vosne-Romanée premier cru’s composition of wild strawberry, red currant, orange zest, ginger, and mint. The classic cuvée leaves you yearning for another sip—and wondering if we will see more of it in future vintages. Citing the challenges that made it possible, de Villaine is unequivocal on the subject: "I hope," he says, "we see less."
Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
In 1934 was the introduction of the first vintage of Cuvée Duvault-Blochet, a Vosne-Romanée premier cru produced from the fruit of the grand cru vineyards’ younger vines. Typically sold to négociants, these grapes proved that year to be of such exceptional quality that Edmund de Villaine, Aubert’s grandfather, decided to make a wine to honor his predecessor.
Another 65 years passed before this cuvée reappeared among the domaine’s new releases. Despite spring rain that threatened to infect the vines with mildew, the 1999 vintage benefited from an August heat wave that intensified the sugar levels and acidity of the grapes, which achieved near-perfect ripeness. Once the initial harvest was done, the vineyard team began to collect the remaining fruit. "The grapes from the young vines that we harvested separately in our grand crus were of such exceptional quality," Aubert de Villaine stated in the domaine’s report on the 1999 vintage, "that we decided, if only for this time, to revive the tradition [of Cuvée Duvault-Blochet]." He went on to add that this bottling "in no way should be interpreted as the beginning of a ‘second wine’ from the Domaine, to be produced every year.
But if the bottling of Cuvée Duvault-Blochet was not quite the rule over the next seven vintages, neither was the 1999 vintage the sole exception. The domaine went on to produce this wine again in 2002 and a very small quantity of it in 2004. This spring, the directors announced the release of a 2006 vintage of the Vosne-Romanée premier cru.
Vuosikerta 2002
2002 VINTAGE in Burgundy
A Great Year
The trade is unanimous: the harvest was exceptional and 2002 is destined to be a great vintage for Burgundy. A dry summer, a sunny September, splendid grapes with highly concentrated sugars - everything came together to produce structured and complex wines with outstanding aromatic potential.
As early as the beginning of September, the sugar content in the grapes was often at exceptionally high levels and they had attained a degree of maturity indicative of a good balance between sugar and acidity in both the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir, as well as in the Gamay and Aligoté.
Well-matured grapes have produced - on the evidence of early tastings - deeply-coloured red wines with a garnet tint, and with really well-structured tannins. Depending on degree of maturity, the wines evoke sustained aromas of red and black fruits. Thanks to yield control and careful harvesting, they present a wide diversity of expression.
The white wines are intense and heady, richly fragrant in their blend of fruit and mineral components. They are rounded, long in the mouth, balanced and harmonious.
Both reds and whites of the 2002 vintage fully express their respective terroirs and promise fine ageing potential.
As Hubert Camus, President of the Interprofession and himself a wine-grower at Gevrey-Chambertin, puts it: "In 2002, Burgundy's growers and négociants have every prospect of obtaining remarkable wines."
Growing conditions during the year were characterised by low rainfall. Maturation took place in warm and sunny weather punctuated by occasional rainstorms. These weather conditions aided concentration in the grapes and kept them healthy. The harvest period enjoyed an ideal combination of sunshine and cool temperatures.
