A magnum of Prieuré Roch's Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2018. The hot year added weight and colour to a wine the domaine normally describes as supple and silky.
About This Wine
The domaine farms 1.02 hectares of Les Suchots, a 13.08-hectare premier cru named for the tree stumps left when forest was cleared for vines. It sits on the gentle lower slope of Vosne, under Les Beaumonts and Aux Brûlées. 2018 ran close to 2003 for heat in Burgundy, but a wet winter meant the vines had water in reserve. The crop was large and healthy, and a brief pause in ripening during the heat helped Pinot Noir keep more freshness than the whites. Alcohol often ran above 14%.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dark cherry, blackberry and rose, with baking spice and a little cocoa.
- Palate: Rich and velvety, with ripe fruit, fine tannin and a fresh thread through the middle.
- Finish: Warm and persistent, finishing on spice and dark fruit.
Serving & Food
Decant for about an hour and serve at 16°C in large Burgundy glasses. The magnum should drink from around 2027 into the late 2030s. Try it with roast venison, duck with five-spice, or a whole roast Bresse chicken.
How to Enjoy
Laying down in a slower-ageing format, and a Vosne premier cru for a dinner of six or more.
Product Details
Producer: Domaine Prieuré Roch
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Vintage: 2018
Grape: Pinot Noir
Estate Holding: 1.02 ha
Format: 1.5L magnum
About the Domaine
2018 was a turning point for Prieuré Roch. Henry-Frédéric Roch died that year aged 56, having led the domaine since 1988 and co-directed the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992.
The same year the domaine added Dessus les Gollardes in Savigny-lès-Beaune, and two years later it took on the Clos des Varoilles in Gevrey-Chambertin. Yannick Champ, who had worked beside Roch for years, now runs the estate with the same methods: organic farming and whole-bunch fermentation with no added sulphite.