2000 Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne Romanee Les Orveaux

Mongeard-Mugneret is a 75-acre estate in Vosne-Romanee, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. There were Mongeards making wine in the region in the 19th century and in 1945 Jean Mongeard, whose mother was a Mugneret, began working the family domaine though he was still a teenager. Today the estate is mostly run by Jean’s son Vincent. The domain has Grand Cru parcels in Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux, Echezeaux “Vieilles Vignes,” Clos de Vougeot and Richebourg. There are also numerous Premier Crus and villages wines. Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret has parcels in 22 appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the domain’s “style of winemaking seems to extract rich, supple, concentrated fruit from the grapes.”

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.