2005 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts Christiane 1er Cru

Good deep red. Deeply pitched, somewhat reduced nose hints at darker fruits. Then rounder, larger and deeper on the palate than the "regular" Malconsorts; distinctly spherical in shape, an impression that leavens the sheer size of this wine. Complicating notes of earth and vegetable matter. Finish very long and full, with great finesse of tannins. These vines are from an enclave in La Tache, and yet when I tasted these two samples blind, side by side, this one struck me as having the volume and complicating earth notes of Romanee-Conti while the "regular" Malconsorts was more La Tache-like in its early perfume and higher-pitched fruit. They were quite different in style.

Vinified to mirror the regular cuvee and named for de Montille’s mother is a separate 2005 Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts “Christianne” from a half-hectare plot (easy to spot on any detailed vineyard map) that jumps the road and juts into the original La Tache. The result is a totally different wine – and what a wine it is! Subtle brown spices, jasmine, orange rind mingle with moss, mineral nuance, and black fruits. Raw red meat and savory soy notes emerge on the palate. This displays singular textural refinement and elegance, purity and clarity of fruit, and an ineffable complexity of mineral nuances from stem to stern. The billowing richness of folds of black fruits set up a harmonious, almost Riesling-like call and response with minerals. Explore the extraordinary mysteries of this wine beginning in 5-7 years, though one could well imagine it being worth holding for more than twice that time. Jun 2007, www.robertparker.com