The 2012 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanee, which Vincent told me is also the first of his to achieve maturity thanks to the protection given by the surrounding oak trees, is more reticent on the nose at the moment, more introverted with gravel scents emerging from the glass. The palate is balanced but just missing the same degree of tension and energy as the Tete du Clos. Stylish, but it needs a touch more bite and acidity on the finish. Drink now-2025.
Vincent Dancer took over his father’s domaine in 1996. Up until then the holdings at been en fermage, though it was not until 2003 that Vincent was able to bottle his debut vintage. This was my first visit to the domaine, which has a strong following in the UK and Europe. Unfortunately there is no distributor in the United States at the moment, though hopefully that will change in the future, so long as there are more generous growing seasons than 2012 and 2013. Vincent is thoughtful young winemaker who practices a very straightforward, rudimentary winemaking. “Compared to 2011 we were 50% down,” he informed me as we descended into his cellars, his faithful hound keeping guard outside. “We lost 30% during the flowering season and there are just 35 barrels for the 2012 vintage. We started the harvest September 15. For the whites, I do a normal pressing in a pneumatic press and an old Vaslin press. I don’t add any sulfur and then after the pressing, I transfer the juice into barrel for a minimum of 12 months, though the last three vintages were in barrel for 16 to 17 months, the final five or six months in tank before bottling. There was a tiny bit more new oak in 2012 due to the small quantities, but usually it is around 25% for the premier crus. The 2012 is the first vintage that will bear ‘organic’ on the label.” The samples were taken from tank off the lees and they will have a little sulfur before bottling. The reds had just been dosed up with sulfur so I did not taste them, although the focus here is definitely upon the whites. These are well worth looking out for. Dancer’s wines demonstrated good weight in the mouth, often a little creamier in texture than its peers, but with requisite acidity to maintain tautness and linearity.
Importer: Coeur Wine Co., 419 Lafayette St., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003; tel: 347-762-1258; www.coeurwineco.com
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