1999 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru

Assistant winemaker Olivier Leriche, who comes from the Beaujolais area, showed me the '99s in November, in most cases making approximate blends in my glass of the two or three major components of each wine. Yields in '99 averaged close to 50 hectoliters per hectare, Leriche told me, but closer to 40 in the old vines of Clos des Forets Saint-Georges. Vinification was gentle ("to privilege balance rather than sheer extraction," said Leriche) and the malolactic fermentations finished quickly. (Imported by Jeroboam Wines and Chateau & Estate Wines, New York, NY; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Ex-Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA)