Clos Frantin Vosne Romanee Malconsorts 1er Cru 2014 (3.0L)

93 BH / 92-94 WA / 89-92 VM

Discreet wood adds to the breadth of the overtly spicy and fresh if restrained nose of dark currant, plum and violet scents. There is both good volume and muscle to the mineral-inflected big-bodied flavors that possess excellent power on the imposing and beautifully long finale. This beauty is firm but perhaps a bit less obviously structured than usual though to be clear, it certainly will need at least a few years of cellaring first. In a word, lovely. Burghound - Sweet Spot - Outstanding!

The 2014 Vosne Romanée 1Er Cru les Malconsorts has an elegant, refined bouquet with mineral-tinged red berry fruit, composed and a little backward but nicely focused. There is class here. The palate is supple on the entry with fine tannin, silky smooth in texture, very harmonious and nicely structured on the finish. This is a subtle Malconsorts, one that should not be underestimated. Neal Martin

Bright medium red. Purple berries, red licorice, mint, violet and spicy oak on the perfumed nose and palate. Fat, sweet, deep and mouthfilling but still a bit youthfully tight; conveys a somewhat extractive quality but Chauvel noted that he does fewer pigeages for this wine than for the other Clos Frantin cuvées. Very rich, floral wine with captivating sweetness and serious but well-enrobed tannins. We always have to wait for the tannins to ripen here, noted Alberic Bichot, who add that this may be the last 2014 to be bottled. Stephen Tanzer