Prieuré Roch's Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2012 in 3-litre format. It was a tiny, trying vintage, but the Côte de Nuits escaped the worst of the hail and made structured, concentrated reds.
About This Wine
The domaine holds 1.02 hectares of Les Suchots, a premier cru on the gentle lower slope of Vosne, bordered by Les Beaumonts and Aux Brûlées above and the Echezeaux next door. It describes the wine as classic Vosne: supple, silky and consistent from year to year. 2012 had a wet, chilly spring, a drawn-out flowering and constant mildew pressure, which made life hard for organic growers. Yields fell to between 18 and 30 hectolitres per hectare, and the small berries gave concentrated Pinot with firm tannins built to age.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Red cherry, wild strawberry and rose, with tea leaf, spice and a little forest floor.
- Palate: Concentrated but silky, with savoury depth and firm, fine tannins now starting to relax.
- Finish: Long, with red fruit, spice and a mineral freshness.
Serving & Food
Let the bottle rest upright for a day or two, then decant an hour ahead. Serve at 16 to 17°C in large Burgundy glasses. The double magnum should still be improving and will hold to around 2040. Serve with roast saddle of hare, rib of beef, or a braised lamb shank.
How to Enjoy
A celebration for ten or more, and cellars wanting one large bottle to open in years to come.
Product Details
Producer: Domaine Prieuré Roch
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Vintage: 2012
Grape: Pinot Noir
Estate Holding: 1.02 ha
Format: 3L double magnum
About the Domaine
Henry-Frédéric Roch's family ties ran deep in Burgundy. He was the son of Pauline Roch-Leroy and nephew of Lalou Bize-Leroy, and he joined Aubert de Villaine as co-director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1992.
His own estate was a different kind of project, freer and more experimental. Prieuré Roch reds are fermented with all their stems, bottled without filtration and made with barely any sulphur, a style that won a following among natural-wine drinkers as well as Burgundy collectors.