1945 Domaine Henri Lamarche Vosne-Romanée
Les Suchots 1er Cru

BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;APRIL 17, 2023The reputation of a Burgundy domaine swings with the caliber
of its wines. Certainly, under present winemaker Nicole Lamarche, the Lamarche
wines are much more consistent and higher in quality than they were between the
Seventies and Nineties when it is said that the aging Henri Lamarche spent
insufficient time tending to his vines. Commentators perhaps meted out more
criticism towards the domaine as they owned the monopole of La Grande Rue,
predestined to be compared to its neighbor, Romanée-Conti. How could they
preside over such an enviable portfolio and their wines so frequently be pale
imitations of their peers?<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1681491634352-lamarche+1945.jpg">This was not always the case. Wines from the postwar period
until around the Sixties are supposedly much better, though you would be lucky
to chance upon one of those nowadays. But as luck would have it, one bottle did
appear at a private dinner with a friend in Beaune. That night was bejeweled
with big-hitting names and, on paper, grander bottles. Yet none of them made an
impression like this 1945. The memory of this bottle continues to glisten. It
must have been made in Henri Lamarche’s formative years as a winemaker – alas, I
could not find out exactly when he took over. 

The 1945 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru has a
clear core with moderate bricking around its rim. The bouquet is entrancing.
There is no unfolding from the glass. Instead, it bursts forth with
exquisitely defined scents of terracotta, red fruit, black truffle shavings and
just a faint touch of chlorophyll. It is utterly profound. Could the palate
match up to the startling aromatics? You bet. The palate is armed with haunting
complexity, perfect balance and perfect acidity. The tannins have a very
slight, grainy texture initially, yet the wine becomes silky-smooth as it fans
out with hints of smoke, Provençal herbs, pressed flowers and sandalwood. There
is a pixelated quality to this Vosne-Romanée that is undimmed, even after several
decades. Bottles like this remind us why so many are so obsessed with Burgundy.
Magical. 98/2023-2033.© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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