1999 Rouget Vosne Romanee 1er les Beaumonts

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Mar/Apr '01
Bright ruby-red. Deep aromas of exotic, pungent spices, black raspberry and smoky oak. Silky and creamy but with good spine thanks to healthy ripe acidity. A bit less round than normal for this wine, and rather reserved on the back end. But finishes firm and persistent. Tannins are dusty and slightly dry. 89-91 points

Tasting note: A wonderfully expressive black fruit nose redolent of spices and floral notes complements rich and full middle weight flavors underpinned by obvious minerality and plenty of finishing pop and vibrancy on the long finish. This is not particularly dense yet there is good sap that coats the mouth and buffers the underlying structure that should permit this to age for another 4 to 5 years before drinking over the next decade. In short, this is a really lovely juice that should give much pleasure and it could even be approached now if one were really interested in taking a look at the overall potential. 91 points Burghound July '05