2015 Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Les Suchots

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots has an exquisite bouquet, extremely pure with scents of redcurrant, blueberry, violets, cola and wet limestone. Like the 2015 Les Beaux Monts, there is wondrous focus and precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. This is full of energy and tension, with a killer line of acidity and wonderful structure and precision towards the mineral-rich finish. It will require several years in bottle, but it has the substance and complexity to repay patience.

(2 of 4 of the barrels were new, although Grivot noted that one of them had been "cleaned by a Chardonnay fermentation"): Healthy dark red. Black raspberry, licorice and a hint of cedary oak on the very expressive nose. Densely packed, suave and savory, conveying a lovely balance of fresh fruits and smoky, saline minerality. This plush, almost chocolatey wine comes across as quite sophisticated and very accessible today. Finishes very subtle and long, with surprising juiciness. These 2015s really display remarkable balance.