THE WINE ADVOCATE 2018

THE WINE ADVOCATE 2018

William Kelley

Millésime 2018

My tasting with Jean-Pierre Guyon was one of the highlights of over two months tasting in Burgundy, as I hadn’t appreciated just how exciting the wines emerging from this six-hectare Vosne-Romanée domaine are. Guyon, whose first vintage was 1987, recounted how in the late 1980s and early 1990s he—along with many of his contemporaries—made heavily extracted, oaky wines, attempting to prove that Pinot Noir need not lack color or structure. Today, by contrast, his ambition is to revert to what he considers the old-fashioned way of doing things: that’s to say, vinification with most whole clusters; no sulfur additions, if possible, until the Spring following the harvest; a cuvaison of some twenty days; and gentle basket pressing. The consumption of this new approach, along with organic certification, dates to 2012. Thanks to an enviable patrimony of old vines (« I don’t have any young vines », boasts Guyon), yields are low, stems ripe, and the new approach works remarkably successfully. While the wines are certainly marked by their whole cluster fermentation, which lends them lovely aromatic range, they have such natural concentration that they avoid being overtly stylized, and site distinctions are articulately expressed. Guyon’s 2017s, it would be fair to say, transcend the vintage norms in terms of depth and dimension, and I warmly encourage readers to acquaint themselves with this exciting domaine.

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (91-93/100)

Aromas of rich berry fruit, dried flowers, heady spices and loamy soil introduce Guyon’s 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a full-bodied, rich and muscular wine that’s fleshy and enveloping, with powdery tannins and succulent acids. Powerful and broad-shouldered, this will require some patience.

Gevrey-Chambertin Les Platières (89-91/100)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Platières bursts from the glass with aromas of rose petals, orange rind and berries, complemented by savory bass notes of smoked meats and soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and fleshy, its sweet core of fruit framed by powdery tannins. 

Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Aux Brûlées (92-94/100) 

Wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe berry fruit, smoked tea, peonies and spices, the 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Aux Brûlées is medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, with a sweet but succulent core of fruit, ripe acids and powdery tannins. This is one of the high points of the range.

Vosne-Romanée Les Charmes de Mazières (89-91/100)

Bursting with aromas of blackberries, spices, rose petals and orange rind, the 2018 Vosne-Romanée Les Charmes de Mazières is medium to full-bodied, rich and chewy, with a muscular chassis of firm tannin and a reserved, introverted profile. Guyon hopes to bottle it without added sulfites.

Chorey-les-Beaune Les Bons Ores (88-90/100)

A rich bouquet of cherries, berries and soil tones framed by a deft touch of oak introduces Guyon’s 2018 Chorey-les-Beaune Les Bons Ores, a medium to full-bodied, long and concentrated wine built around powdery tannin and ripe, sweet fruit.

Vosne-Romanée Village (89-91/100)

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Village offers up a pretty bouquet of rose petals, orange rind, wild berries, incense and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and layered palate that’s generous and textural, with a ripe core of fruit and powdery structuring tannins. 

Vosne-Romanée 1er cru En Orveaux (90-92/100) 

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru En Orveaux offers up a rich bouquet of jammy berries, spices and smoked meat, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ripe and enveloping palate that needs some time to come together. It was really too soon to say if it will end up as a lavish but nicely balanced example of the vintage or if it will prove a little extreme. 

Echezeaux Grand Cru (93-95/100)

The 2018 Echezeaux Grand Cru wafts from the glass with notes of raspberries, exotic spices, rose petals and grilled game bird. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, layered and enveloping, with a rich and enveloping profile that remains lively and succulent. Lavish and dramatic, this is a textural, aromatic Echezeaux.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Herbues (88-90/100)

The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Herbues delivers an inviting bouquet of cassis, orange rind and peonies, followed by a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and elegantly structured palate. This is promising.