2018 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Reignots

For reports and full tasting notes, go toTim Atkin MW's website.

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots soars from the glass with scents of ripe wild berries, orange rind, burning embers, peonies and rich soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with an open-knit and expressive core of fruit, framed by melting tannins and juicy acids. As usual, this is one of the most charming wines in the cellar.

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 1er Cru possesses a very harmonious, understated bouquet that gradually unfurls to reveal enticing black cherry, raspberry and crushed stone aromas, later becoming more floral in style but always retaining a sense of control. The palate is extremely precise and very smooth. Perhaps this is the one cuvée from Cathiard where slightly earlier picking might have engendered more precision on the finish, which flirts with exotic notes, pulling back just in time. One for those who like a flamboyant Vosne-Romanée.