2008 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux
By Domaine Emmanuel Rouget
2008 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, Burgundy, France
The 2008 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget is a beacon of meticulous viticulture and a testament to the tenacious spirit of the Burgundian terroir. In a year that proved to be prodigiously challenging throughout Burgundy, those well-acquainted with the caprices of nature reaped the rewards of patience and careful stewardship. I recall fondly the whispers of concern that aged along with these wines, eventually uncorking into sighs of admiration.
An Emblematic Vintage from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget
The pedigree of Cros Parantoux is not unnoticed among collectors, nor is it understated in its cerebral pleasurability. The 2008 vintage carries the knowledge and nurture handed down through generations at Domaine Emmanuel Rouget. This particular year presented an initially reticent bouquet that unfurls magnificently with time in the glass—a shy temptress with a treasure trove of aromatic intricacies to reveal.
Refinement Meets Resilience: 2008 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux
Marked by frosts and summer downfalls, 2008 in Burgundy was salvaged by a forgiving September, which allowed for late maturation of the Pinot Noir residing in Cros Parantoux. As such, this wine emerges triumphant in its refined expression of red and black fruits intermingled with the characteristic spice and minerality that one covets. It harbours a poised acidity, betraying none of the arduous conditions under which it was born—instead, it presents a graceful dance between power and elegance on the palate.
The investment potential for this stellar offering should not be underestimated; akin to uncovering an unpolished gem that gleams brighter as it ages, the 2008 vintage holds within it latent potency for growth both in complexity and fiscal worth.
Conclusion: An Investable Vintage Rivalling Time itself
In summary, the 2008 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget stands as a compelling chronicle of what the best vintners in Burgundy are capable of achieving against all climatic odds. Its narrative weaves resilience with serendipity, creating a wine that beckons to those seeking not just a bottle but a chapter of oenological history crafted by patient hands and nature’s ultimate grace. Connoisseurs seeking a genteel yet robust vintage conducive to both immediate delight and long-term appreciation will find a staunch ally in this vinous jewel.
Market price (HKD)
HK$159,940.00
12x75cl
Highest score
93
POP score
1286.92
Scores and tasting notes
“The 2008 Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux,” reports Rouget, “finished its malo at the beginning of February, the same time as the 2009!” For that reason, I tasted it still on its fine lees, having never been racked or sulfured. (“Not that I’m one of these ‘bio-’ low-sulfur people,” he hastened to add.) Lily-like, decadent floral perfume, cassis, framboise, holly berry, and mint hover spirituously over the glass. Vanilla and resin hints for the (100%) new wood mingle with liqueur-like black fruits as well as pungently invigorating red currant and dried cranberry. Here is the vibratory, interactive intensity and complexity one derives from the best young wines of its vintage, with chalk, stone, salt, and iodine all serving to set-off the wine’s candied yet acidulated fruit character. This should intrigue and delight for a dozen or more years. I tasted Emmanuel Rouget’s 2008s from barrel in April and he was planning to bottle them within a month. According to one of Rouget’s favorite descriptors, the vintage was “tres particulaire,” not to mention challenging. “I harvested at an average of 12%” potential alcohol, he reports, “and chaptalized less than a degree. That sufficed. It was more important to harvest while there was still good weather and besides, it was already cold. There was a lot of acidity, but that conveys a superb equilibrium and level of freshness. The wines really exhibit the plenitude of Pinot.” Rouget rejects what he acknowledges is a widespread comparison of 2008 with 1996, suggesting that the latter “was more marked by sunshine, and resulted in less-noticeable acidity.” (As noted in the introduction to this report, he compares 2008 with 1986.) Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010