Robert Arnoux Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes 2002
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Robert
Parker
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Les Chaumes is a large Premier Cru climat located at the southern end of the Vosne-Romanee. Les Chaumes Premier Cru wines are full bodied and supple. Les Chaumes' terroir is greatly influenced by its position on the slope, in terms of both soil and the mesoclimate felt in the vineyard. The limestone-based marl that covers the vineyard is deeper and richer than in the climats further up the Cote d'Or. The Pinot Noir vines here tend to be slightly more vigorous than in Aux Malconsorts, and growers must prune carefully to ensure berry quality is not compromised. Les Charmes is one of the warmer climats in the area, and thus among the first to be harvested.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dark-colored 2002 Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes bursts forth with licorice-imbued black cherry fruit aromas. This medium-bodied effort exhibits outstanding concentration, depth, and freshness. Copious quantities of black, tar-laced fruits can be found in its structured character. Lachaux stated that this will be the last of the 2002s to be bottled to allow its slightly firm tannin to soften during an extended elevage.
Range: 90-92
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This is the village for the most die-hard Burgundy fanatics. Vosne-Romanée has for many hundreds of years been the source of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The village claims six Grands Crus—and some of the most famous at that—but in other villages where owners manage tiny parcels or a few rows of any one vineyard, monopolies dominate the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanee.
Of these monopolies, Domaine Romanee-Conti (DRC) reigns supreme, claiming not only more total vineyard area than any other producer, but outright owning the entirety of two of the Grands Crus and a majority of two others. In its full possession are naturally Romanée-Conti, as well as La Tâche. DRC also owns most of Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant. The final two, La Grande Rue and La Romanée are completely owned by other other produers: François Lamarche and Comte Liger Belair, respectively.
While one could spend a lifetime on the puzzles of land ownership in Burgundy, the point is that Vosne-Romanee contains the most valuable pieces of vineyard real estate in the world. Pinot Noir from any of its vineyards—especially from within its 27ha of Grand Cru or 58 ha of Premier Cru land—is going to rank among the best.
The most outstanding wines from this village have everything: finesse and elegance coupled with the body and sturdiness for incredibly long aging ability. They are intensely floral and exotically spiced. Beautifully ripe, complex and ephemeral throughout, they are robust, yet fine-grained in texture. These wines will stay gorgeous for the long haul.