The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Les Petits Monts is a big, sweeping wine from Drouhin. Dark red fruit, sweet spices, and menthol are some of the notes that emerge from this textured, open red. This is a fairly bombastic style, yet I find plenty of elegance, class and vintage character. I especially like the way this fills out on the mid-palate. This is made from two tiny parcels, each measuring 5 ouvrees. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034. Drouhin farms 75 hectares of vineyards according to biodynamic principles. Maceration and fermentation lasts about three weeks. The wines are then racked into oak in a cold part of the cellar to slow down the malos, although in 2009 they were entirely done by December. The estate leaves the wines on their lees for several months with one racking, or two if needed, prior to being assembled for bottling. New oak ranges from 25% for the entry-level wines to 50-65% for the grand crus. Veronique Drouhin thinks the 2009s will stay open throughout their lives, much as the 1985s have. All of these 2009s were bottled between early December, 2010 and January, 2011. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770