2007 Vosne les Brulees
By Domaine Leroy
2007 Vosne Les Brulees from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy, France
The year 2007 in Burgundy was marked by an exhilarating challenge for vintners. A vintage shaped largely by its unorthodox weather patterns, this year demanded the utmost skill and adaptability from the region's winemakers. Successfully emerging from such a capricious climate, the 2007 Vosne les Brulees from Domaine Leroy stands as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship synonymous with this prestigious estate.
Majestic Harmony: A Bold Statement in a Delicate Year
The tenacity of Domaine Leroy's approach in the vineyard and beyond is echoed within the glass. A mosaic of red and dark fruit nuances entwined with subtle hints of spices characterises the 2007 vintage. An undercurrent of fine tannins underscores the wine's structure, allowing it to display an uncommon radiance amidst the challenges posed by 2007's growing season. Noteworthy for investors is the resilience and tenacity this vintage exhibits, reflecting a distinguished investment opportunity.
Precision and Preservation: Domaine Leroy’s Exemplar Vintages
Singular in profile, the 2007 Vosne les Brulees displays an aromatic depth that braids together layers of cherry, currant, and an exquisite bouquet of violets, all delivered on a tapestry weaved with the most diligent precision. The cooler conditions of 2007 culminated in wines that prized elegance and subtlety over muscular intensity, and Domaine Leroy's creation is no exception. This wine is perfectly poised for those truly passionate about intricate Burgundian pinot noir, offering a vintage-specific window into the soul of Vosne-Romanée's terroir.
In sum, as one reflects on the capability required to conjure such magnificence from a challenging year, the 2007 Vosne les Brulees from Domaine Leroy emerges as a collector's darling. Mellowed yet vibrant, complex yet astoundingly harmonious; it resides at a fascinating nexus where vinicultural acumen meets Mother Nature's unpredictability—a sterling addition to any fine wine repository.
Market price (USD)
N/A
12x75cl
Highest score
91
POP score
N/A
Scores and tasting notes
The Leroy 2007 Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees reveals its tannic structure and a wealth of forest floor and fungal complexity while at the same time living up to its name with sweetly rich blackberry confiture and roasted meatiness. Expansive and overtly ripely fruited, yet firm, and more restrained in the finish than its aromas and initial palate impression led me to expect, here is a Vosne whose deep layers can almost certainly be mined only over a period of 10-15 years. Still, I allow for the possibility that this was in part simply having an inexpressive day or month. The results Lalou Bize-Leroy achieved in 2006 – as I wrote in my previous red Burgundy report – were especially notable considering the misgivings she expressed early on about that vintage. She appeared more enthusiastic early on about 2007, but in this instance it’s far from merely notable – frankly, it’s utterly improbable – the richness and complexity that the Leroy team has achieved, especially considering that harvesting began here already on August 27! This collection is quite distinctive even from the very few others of its vintage that come even remotely close in quality. These 2007s display a sense of effortless effusiveness, primary juiciness, and – I don’t know how to put this less nebulously – elegance and in the best instances transparency, contrasting with the impressions of tumescent ripeness, coagulation, and new wood veneer that in some vintages accompany the profound richness of Leroy reds. As usual, the wines were all bottled in December, which at least in this vintage seems less difficult to reconcile with their exceptional quality than it does in vintages like 2005 or 2008, when so many of the other top practitioners of red Burgundy emphasize the need for longer elevage. Extremely low yields are of course also a common denominator among Bize-Leroy’s collections, although in the challenging 2007 vintage, she had somewhat more company than usual among fellow-vignerons in the roughly 20 hectoliter-per-hectare range. (And that was bounteous compared with the 13 hectoliters per hectare Bize-Leroy reports having managed in 2008, a vintage from which she did not want to show her bottled wines until June of this year, so that I shall publish notes on them in my follow-up to the present report.) Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010