2003 Emmanuel Rouget, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Cros Parantoux

Vinous

(14.1 alcohol) Deep red with ruby highlights. Cool, noble, slightly muted aromas of red cherry, red berries and minerals. Large-scaled, rich and impressively deep, if a bit youthfully clenched today and not showing the early sweetness of the Echezeaux. Subtle flavors of raspberry, cherry, minerals and spices. Finishes long and subtle, but with substantial tannic spine making the wine harder to taste (and assess) today. The yield here was 27 hectoliters per hectare, says Rouget, whereas the rest of his 2003s were more like 24. These vines run north-south and are also higher up the hill, and thus were better able to withstand the heat of the summer.