2009 Georges Noellat Vosne-Romanee

Domaine Georges Noellat, in Vosne-Romanee, is one of the commune’s most well-established and renowned estates. But when Geroges Noellat passed away in the late 1990s, his wife took over and sold most of what she produced to Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin. But when the contract with those negociants ran out a few years ago Madame Noellat handed the estate’s management to her then 20-year-old nephew, Maxime Cheurlin. Cheurlin is related to the Jayer family and the Rouget family, both Burgundy dynasties, so winemaking runs in his blood. Cheurlin’s first vintage as head of the estate was the 2010 vintage. The estate has several Premier Cru parcels and also a parcel of Grands Echezeaux planted with 80-year-old vines. Wine Advocate has called Cheurlin “a huge talent, someone destined for stardom.”

Vosne-Romanée is the most prestigious appellation in Burgundy. Its 449 acres of vineyards are in and around the village of Vosne-Romanée and they include renowned Grand Cru vineyards which produce some of the world’s most coveted – and costly —wines. The Grands Crus are Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and La Tâche. The Grand Crus Échezeaux and Grands- Échezeaux are actually located in the neighboring village of Flagey-Échezeaux, but legally they can be sold under the Vosne-Romanée appellation. There are also seventeen Premier Crus in Vosne-Romanée. Wine writer Clive Coates has called Vosne-Romanée “the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth” and notes that the appellation’s style “is for wines which are rich, austere, sensual, masculine and aristocratic.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.