Gros Frere & Soeur Vosne Romanee 2020 (750ML)

89 BH

Note: from La Fontaine de Vosne, Au-Dessus de la Rivière and Aux Communes

Producer note: As previously reported, Bernard Gros has ceded the direction of the domaine to his son Vincent, who commented that the 2021 vintage was "challenging but in the end, it was no worse than 2020 in terms of volume, though for very different reasons. There was of course the frost, but the flowering didn't pass especially well as there was a lot of shatter. In the end, we were off about 35%, which is to say about 30 hl/ha. We picked from the 23rd of September and brought in ripe fruit despite the coolness of the growing season. Potential alcohols were in the 12.5 to 13% range and thus there was no need to chaptalize. I did concentrate the Vosne villages but not the rest of the range. As to the wines, they're what I would call classically styled and definitely not at all like the trio of 2018 to 2020." I found much to like in both the 2021 and 2020 vintages, and these are wines to check out as they typically sell for reasonable prices, at least in the context of the current marked for Vosne grand crus. I would repeat my comment from last year that Vincent decided to radically reduce the oak influence in his wines and it is definitely noticeable and, in my view, a welcome change. The 2020s, reviewed below, were bottled in February 2022.
Tasting note: Discreet but not invisible wood surrounds the spicy dark currant scents that reveal hints of the exotic that are picked up by the rich, round and plump medium-bodied flavors that display fine length on the reasonably well-balanced finish where the only nit is a trace of warmth. This is a powerful Vosne villages that stops short of rusticity though it is definitely robust and will absolutely need at least some cellaring.