2002 Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees

Clavelier harvested between August 23 and 30, picking only during the mornings.He chilled the musts but the fermentations still began after no more than four or five days. Clavelier was one of a minority of winemakers who told me he did not acidify in 2003, as he was afraid that this would give the wines "a dryness, a metallic quality."The malos finished early here, between January and March of 2003, but the wines were still on their lees, protected by carbonic gas, at the beginning of November.Clavelier believes the 2003s will be easy to drink early on, but he is also convinced that it's easy to underestimate the longevity of this vintage."There's a huge concentration of polyphenols, and the tannins are very suave," he told me.(Michael Stephens/Vins Divins, Beaune, France; imported by Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Two thousand two is a great year and the wines were also easy to make," Bruno Clavelier told me in November. The wines should last well, but of course it will ultimately be a question of balance.The year brought very good material, and also benefitted from strong natural acidity."The 2002s have not yet shut down in barrel, Clavelier added, but some of the 2001s are already closed.The 2002s had not yet been racked at the beginning of November, as most of the malolactic fermentations did not finish until just prior to the 2003 harvest.(Michael Stephens/Vins Divins, Beaune France imported by Langdon-Shiverick, Cleveland OH also imported by Fruit of the Vine, New York NY