2000 Vosne-Romanee

Laurent is quite proud of his village wines in 2000, since it was especially tough to get solid quality at this level of the Burgundy hierarchy. The high percentage of old vines he works with were of critical importance in 2000, Laurent noted. He also told me he prefers his Nuits-Saint-Georges cuvees in 2000 to the '99s due to the lower crop levels. In my notes below, the Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes and all subsequent wines had been assembled a week prior to my visit; Laurent felt that they were less clear and pure as a result, and in a difficult stage to be tasted. I continue to fancy the wines Laurent ages in his special "magic casks," which he makes from extra-thick Troncais oak staves (40 millimeters, vs. 27 for a normal Burgundy barrel). These barrels have the advantage of sweetening a wine tannins without bringing harsh oakiness. Incidentally, Laurent bottled most of his '99s in the late winter and early spring of 2001, whereas the '98s remained in barrel for a very long 24 to 30 months. He expected to wait until June of 2002 to begin bottling his 2000s, which he says are developing rather like the '99s did.