1998 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanee Les Beaumonts

Emmanuel Rouget is the nephew of the late, great Henri Jayer, one of Burgundy’s legendary winemakers. Rouget started making wines under his own label in 1985 after having apprenticed with his famous uncle for many years. Rouget owns and leases a total of 18 acres in Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanee and Savigny-les-Beaune. The Echezeaux and Vosne-Romanee are Grand Cru. He also produces several villages wines. The signature wine is the Cros Parantoux, though Robert M. Parker Jr. notes that Rouget “routinely bottles outstanding generic cuvees…”

Les Beaux Monts is a 28.6-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Vosne-Romanee appellation of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is on the northern edge of the appellation, bordering Flagey-Echezeaux. The vineyard has a southern exposure, and the soil is part clay and marl. It is one of the largest of Vosne-Romanee’s Premier Crus. Clive Coates calls Les Beaux Monts “a nice big wine, but nonetheless perfumed, full of finesse, even lush.”

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.