2022 Vosne-Romanée Village

“It was a very easy growing season,” winemaker Thomas Collardot tells me. “Harvest kicked off on September 3 at the Domaine, and this year, I used 10% to 30% whole bunches, a little more than last. Yields were up to 50hL/ha. The cuvaison was around 25 days with around six pigeages a little later to avoid any bitterness. There was no need for any acidification of chaptalization, and the alcohol levels were between 13.0% and 13.5%. It is important to have a second winter in barrel for the precision and to refine the tannins.” Collardot has done wonders at this address in Flagey-Echézeaux, advantaged by an enviable roster of Grand Crus. His prudent use of whole bunches engenders complex wines with good bodies, as he is unafraid to give his wines a little more maceration. His star in 2022 is the Clos de la Roche, which shaded his Clos Saint-Denis, plus an excellent Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru from two propitious lieux-dits.