2009 Chablis Vosgros
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Tasting notes
Smoke, wet stones, licorice and scorched earth are some of the notes that emerge from the 2009 Chablis Vozoras. This large-scaled Chablis sweeps across the palate with layers of beautifully delineated fruit to match its expressive bouquet. Everything is in the right place in this harmonious wine. The intensity of the fruit blossoms on the explosive, captivating finish. Vozoras is the coolest site with which Didier Picq works. In 2009, the heat of the vintage and the coolness of the site made for a complete, harmonious, superb wine. This surprisingly tight 2009 has a bright future.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Smoke, wet stones, licorice and scorched earth are some of the notes that emerge from the 2009 Chablis Vosgros. This large-scaled Chablis sweeps across the palate with layers of beautifully delineated fruit to match its expressive bouquet. Everything is in the right place in this harmonious wine. The intensity of the fruit blossoms on the explosive, captivating finish. Vosgros is the coolest site with which Didier Picq works. In 2009, the heat of the vintage and the coolness of the site made for a complete, harmonious, superb wine. This surprisingly tight 2009 has a bright future. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019. Didier Picq’s vineyards are all located in the Chichee, which is just a few kilometers outside Chablis. Picq is among the growers who use stainless steel exclusively. The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, which is not as common in Chablis as it is in other parts of Burgundy. The wines undergo full malolactic fermentation and are bottled on the late side. The house style is one that emphasizes a bold, direct expression of fruit with tonalities that tend towards peach and apricot rather than the brighter, citrus-infused end of the spectrum. The wines can be enjoyed pretty much upon release. I tasted all of the 2010s from tank and the 2009s from bottle. As is the case throughout Chablis, the 2009s here are rich and low in acidity (in relative terms) while the 2010s are decidedly cooler and focused. Picq plans to bottle his 2010s in January/February 2012. Importer: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404
(bottled in January of 2011): Good pale yellow. High-pitched aromas of quinine and lime zest. Concentrated and sweet; a bit creamier in the middle than the nose suggests, but then tightens up on the back half, showing strong iodiney oyster shell minerality and a smoky note. This precise, chewy wine is youthfully imploded today and will need aging. Finishes very long, with a whiplash of minerality tickling the retronasal passage. This boasts a remarkably light touch and outstanding finesse for 2009. Picq told me he'll be cellaring some magnums of this wine, along with his Derriere La Grange.
Near Montmains. Good density and nerve. All stainless and preserved. (JR)