CLOS VOUGEOT

Saturated, bright red-ruby. Expressive, ripe aromas of black cherry, pepper, and a whiff of leather. Full, sweet and harmonious, with great lift and definition to its sappy black cherry and licorice flavors. Really compellingly sweet and palate-coating for a 2008. The fine-grained tannins contribute to the impression of precision on the explosive, vibrant back end. Boillot told me he did a selection in 2008 but that it was to eliminate pink grapes, as there was almost no rot. Rating: 93 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Mar 2011)

Deep red-ruby. Ripe black cherry, licorice and a wilder hint of game on the nose. Dense, lush and fully ripe, offering nuanced flavors of cherry, minerals, flowers and game, plus an intriguing saline impression of soil. Finishes with palate-saturating flavor and big but seamless tannins. This will need time in bottle but appears to be a great success in 2008. Boillot says these vines were picked on October 12 with 13% natural alcohol, and that the yield was just 19 hectoliters per hectare. Rating: 91-94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Mar 2010)

This has a gorgeous bouquet that leaps from the glass: raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed stones, limestone and a touch of lemon zest. It actually has the purity of a top Leroy. The palate is medium-bodied with supremely fine tannins, beautiful balance, feminine with wonderful purity and delicacy, yet the finish is suave, sensuous and powerful. Irresistible. 2011-2022+. Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2010)