2014 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Magnum La Vougeraie

Two parcels - one low and one high - make up this excellent Clos de Vougeot, which saw less new oak in 2014. Aromatic berry fruit of cherry, raspberry and pomegranate, stony minerality and refreshing, palate-cleaning acidity underscored by stylish oak. 2018-28

Red Sweet vanilla, butterscotch and milk chocolate notes give way to cherry and spice flavors in this tightly wound red. The oak is dominant now, but there is a lot going on. The finish is long, ending with ripe fruit. Best from 2022 through 2045

A restrained and discreetly floral- inflected nose features ripe plum and black berry liqueur aromas along with plenty of earth character. The broad-scaled, rich and intense broad-shouldered flavors evidence a sleek muscularity on the long, punchy and moderately austere finish. This is relatively fine for a youthful Clos de Vougeot and that should enable it to be approachable young even though it should easily improve for 15 to 20 years.

One of the lighter colours but mulberry fruit on the nose indicates possible evolution. There is a much livelier side to the palate but the grand cru density of the wine is a little hidden at the moment.

The 2014 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru includes 70% whole cluster fruit this year. It has a well defined nose that perhaps does not quite deliver the complexity that I was expecting. It needs a little more precision and mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, here, showing the detail and the class that I would like to see expressed aromatically. Nicely weighted on the finish with a hint of orange zest, this will hopefully turn out to be a fine Clos Vougeot...just so long as the nose puts its house in order.