2014 Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Vougeot Premier Cru, Les Petits Vougeots 1x750ml

Robert Parker 87-89

The 2014 Vougeot 1er Cru les Petits Vougeot has a straightlaced, floral bouquet that needed encouragement to come out of its shell. The palate is masculine with firm tannin, a little austere with a brisk, mineral, chalky finish. This will need to flesh out by the time of bottling, gain just a bit more presence. Dear reader: Have you ever driven down the A12? It is a stretch of motorway between London and Suffolk and it’s one of the most boring you can encounter. But every January I drive up the A12 on route to Southwold for our annual Bordeaux blind tasting. And maybe because of the ennui, I got into a "disagreement" with my driver, an eminent and reliable palate, who dared opine that the wines of Hudelot-Noellat are not much kop. "Overrated" was the term he used. Of course, I was having none of it and defended the domaine’s wines as being exemplary. We agreed to disagree, though I only accepted the detente knowing that I could wax lyrical about Charles van Canneyt in print. Sporting a dashing new beard, Charles took me around the barrels. He picked on September 15 and some of the malolactics were so tardy that a few barrels were not finished (indeed, a couple were too reduced for me to taste). Charles has overseen some impressive wines in 2014, not least a spellbinding Richebourg that will rank as one of the best wines of the vintage. Perhaps it was just more open for business than the Romanee-Saint-Vivant, but it certainly put it in its place. I felt that at the bottom end, some of the village crus could benefit from a little more matiere, but the mid-range is full of wines worthy of your attention, in particular a wonderful Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts. [Neal Martin, 28/09/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027

Vinous 88-91

Good bright, full red. Slightly reduced aromas of blackberry, licorice, spices and minerals. Plush and tactile in the mouth, offering a lovely combination of primary dark berry fruit and saline stony minerality. Finishes tannic and salty, with very good length. More Clos Vougeot than Chambolle-Musigny in style in 2014. From sandy soil over rock. [Stephen Tanzer, 01/01/2016]