Dominique Laurent Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France

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Representing an inaugural three-barrel, two-parcel Laurent rendition of its appellation, his 2007 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes features ripe and subtly-confitured cassis and black raspberry laced with soy and salt for a sweetly-rich, expansive, velvety, yet invigorating and mouthwatering performance. The balance of confectionary and savory; creamily-rich and brightly fresh-fruited elements is extremely well-struck, and a sense of chalk and peat adds complexity in a long finish both soothing and stimulating. This should be worth following for at least 6-8 years. Dominique Laurent – for more on whose methodology consult my report on his 2005s in issue 171 – purchased very cautiously from 2008 just as he had in 2007, and even then rather radically declassified barrels or relegated them to the second label he sells inside France (as opposed to those labeled “Vieilles Vignes”). Hail, he noted, put his sources in Volnay out of contention. “It is a nugatory vintage that leaves me discontent; one that had to be solely for the sake of cash flow – and, of course, to get access to 2009s” he said, in ludicrous exaggeration and unfairness to himself and the wines he was about to show me. Ripeness was not the issue, he insists (though some wines were chaptalized by as much as a degree – typically a matter on which Laurent doesn’t call the shots) but rather the fact that the vintage did not conduce to the long elevage that is Laurent’s trademark, or at least, the trademark of those wines that have been vinified and are then raised by Laurent in keeping with his notion of methode ancienne (as opposed to those he considers representative of “peasant” or “naive” practice – which could arguably be more accurately termed “do-no-harm” vinification and elevage). “The two things that most differentiate a wine of mine from the same wine raised in the grower’s cellar,” volunteers Laurent, “are more lees and less sulfur. The barrels are secondary.” But he adds that he’s not about to back-off significantly on the share of new wood he uses, seeing its hygienic aspects as critical to precisely his ability to maintain those regimens of long lees contact and low sulfur. The scents and flavors of new wood are sometimes more prominent in Laurent’s 2008s – whether simply due to the contrast they present with the fresh, often tart-edged fruit character this vintage’s wines, or perhaps due to high tartaric acidity literally serving somehow for greater extraction from barrel – yet in most instances I found productive tension and synergy to prevail. While he deemed 2007 to be – like its successor – inferior to 2006 not to mention 2005, and declassified many lots, Laurent also scored impressive results (of which I tasted only a modest subset). In these 2007s, new wood was less noticeable, which Laurent suggests is in part – but probably only small part – to his having utilized a bit less. Having noted Laurent’s skepticism as to the suitability of most 2008 material for long elevage, he still acquired numerous wines that had been fermented with a high percentage of stems and whole clusters; furthermore, save for his two Domaine Laurent Pere & Fils wines, none of the 2008 reds were bottled before last spring when I caught them all in barrel. (Volumes being as small as they are chez Laurent, one misses scarcely a barrel of most lots; thus, a highly reliable impression can be obtained via pipette – although, this years declassification has resulted in some larger-than-usual batches.) Speaking of the domaine that Laurent started a few years ago with his son, and with only modest generic and village acreage, it will blossom with the acquisition (which took place in time for vintage 2010) of the 10-acre estate of retiring Alfred Haegelen (Domaine Haegelen-Jayer, which includes Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot). Imported by Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327-0808

Game and dark fruits on the nose of the Laurent 2006 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes migrate broadly onto a palate of creamy richness, underlain by dark chocolate and forest floor intrigue. As this opens to the air, pungent and exotic spices mount in significance. While it may lack the focus and lift of some of the top wines in its collection, the impressive expansiveness here persists into an almost adhesive finish. This should prove fine material for a decade or more of enjoyment and contemplation. Dominique Laurent – whose methodology I attempted to clarify in a bit more detail in my report for issue 171 – purchased fewer wines in 2006 (not all of which I tasted) than he had in 2005, particularly at the lower end of the classificatory spectrum and in the Cote de Beaune. On the other hand, there were some correspondingly sweet opportunities, he noted, to expand acquisitions in top-notch crus due to initial hesitation of many negociants to buy heavily into this vintage. Laurent was highly enthusiastic about the quality of the wines he did raise, which in the glass often proved even more infectious than his enthusiasm – and that's saying something! What's more, although these wines – generally produced in 50-250 case quantities – have a reputation for high prices, most of these 2006s – especially in their upper-echelons – strike me as exhibiting excellent price:quality rapport. While absence of chaptalization and absence of sulfur during the elevage remain constant features this year, less of the wine Laurent purchased and raised from 2006 was vinified with stems than in most years. Vieilles Vignes," incidentally, is used like a brand name chez Laurent, referring to all of his better wines, whereas his "Tradition" line – none of which I tasted – consists of cuvees rendered in slightly larger volumes and exclusively for the French market. Since the words "Vieilles Vignes" are prominently displayed on the label, I have included them as part of each wine's description, although one will often see Laurent's same top wines referred to without that designation. Imported by Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327-0808

Laurent’s 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes exhibits pungently smoky, spicy, faintly gamy aromatics, a meaty, dense, and creamy palate impression, and very ripe, liqueur-like black raspberry and cherry fruit. A long, strikingly rich finish is accented by white pepper and brown spices. The tannins are completely covered in luscious folds of fruit, and this seems capable of delivering enormous pleasure at any time over the next decade and a half (although Laurent thinks that in general the 2005s will shut down for a while after bottling). Laurent says this comes from vine material that originated with Henri Jayer, for which he is always on the lookout. A Patrick Lesec Selection, Paris Fax 011 33 4 66 37 67 23; Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327 0808