Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Reviews

This wine’s bold black fruit has gentleness, with plenty of energy and intensity, though most of what shows for the moment are complexities derived from oak. Gingerbread, sandalwood and musky spice surround the fruit, which, itself, may not begin to speak until it’s at least ten years old.

Scents of fruity forest mushrooms and woodland herbs gives this the feel of dappled light. The the tannins close off the light completely with their concentrated power. The flavors are simple and rooty, focused mostly on tannins, hinting at black raspberry fruit along with initial aromatic complexity that should gain with time in the cellar. 

Intense and powerful, but as yet unformed, this starts with fruity layers of black cherry skin then hits a wall of tannins. Heady in its peppery scents and closed off behind those tannins, this is formidable, if difficult to read as young wine. For the cellar.

This is an attractive, fast-maturing wine with soft tannins, ripe fruits and a juicy, perfumed acidity. It has considerable weight and concentration, along with firm red-plum and berry flavors. It’s an elegant wine that should be drunk from 2017.

Perhaps the best Bouchard Aine wine we've ever tasted, this puts all its cards on the table with complete confidence the moment it's opened: a grand trumpet blare of foresty scents, strawberries, rhubarb and Bretty funk. New oak plays a major role, but there is so much detail to the wine's flavor that it's just one more layer. A rich caress of dark fruit and earthy tannins make this delicious to drink now and over the next several years. It is, perhaps, too open for the long term.

This is broad and quite soft, with a dense, jammy red-fruit flavor. It has tannins that are buried in the rich fruit, giving shape to the wine. This is likely to mature soon.