Vosne Romanée Malconsorts Christiane, Domaine de Montille 2012

The nose is in almost the exact same state as the straight cuvée with its reductive and floral aromas. There is a slightly finer mouth feel to the equally large-scaled flavors where the supporting tannins are notably fine-grained that imparts a different texture, particularly on the superbly complex and highly persistent finish. I very much like the overall sense of harmony and depth and as good as the regular cuvée is there is just another dimension present here. In a word, marvelous.

There are 7½ barrels of the 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Malconsorts Christiane this year from 0.48 hectares of vines tucked into La Tache. Ever since this prize plot came into Etienne de Montille’s hands, he has felt that it creates a different Pinot Noir to the regular Malconsorts and I can vouch for that myself having compared the two cuvees blind over three of four vintages in Paris, back in 2009. They both undergo identical vinification. It has a wonderful, exuberant bouquet laden with vivacious orange sorbet, strawberry preserve, minerals and incense like fireworks across the sky. The palate is medium-bodied, streamlined with very fine lithe tannins accompanied by a fine silver thread of acidity. It feels more compact, perhaps denser and more imposing than the regular Malconsorts and delivers a long persistent finish to complete a swarthy Malconsorts Christiane that is suffused with grandiloquence. Tempted?