Vosne-Romanée, Joseph Drouhin 2021 75cl
Vosne-Romanée is the address every Pinot lover eventually falls for — the village that holds Romanée-Conti and Richebourg, and whose reds carry a perfume you rarely find anywhere else. This is village-level Vosne from Drouhin's Maison range, which is the honest, affordable way into a commune where the grands crus run into five figures.
The 2021 vintage tells its own story. A brutal April frost and a summer of mildew cut Burgundy's crop to one of the smallest harvests on record, and the survivors came in with lower alcohol and a return to what people call old-school Burgundy: pale, fresh, floral, more about scent than muscle.
Véronique Boss-Drouhin's note leans into that elegance. The aromas run wide — wild cherry, nutmeg, a note of camphor wood and fine leather, then a whisper of truffle as it sits. The balance between tannin and acidity is neat and precise, giving the wine a fleshy body and a long, quietly powerful finish. It is a wine of nuance rather than force, which is exactly what good Vosne should be.
At £100 this is real Vosne-Romanée from a serious house in a difficult, low-yield year — not a bargain in absolute terms, but fair for the pedigree and scarcity. Drink it over the next decade.
How to Serve
Serve at 16°C in a large Burgundy glass. A short decant of 30 to 45 minutes is plenty; the delicate 2021 style needs coaxing, not battering with air.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot for the wine crowd who will appreciate it. J Sheekey if you fancy Pinot with something from the sea. The River Cafe for an unhurried Italian-accented lunch.
Food Pairings
Roast guinea fowl or a mushroom risotto both meet its earthy, red-fruited side beautifully.
