Domaine de la Vougeraie Reviews

A ripe, fresh and expressive nose freely offers up its combination of black cherry, earth, anise and floral top notes. Here too the vibrant and attractively textured flavors are not especially concentrated though they do display slightly more minerality on the dusty, youthfully austere and balanced finale. This is a refined Pommard but a Pommard nonetheless so at least some patience will be necessary.

An overtly sauvage-inflected nose is comprised by notes of forest floor and smoky red and dark pinot fruit scents. The delicious and vibrant if only moderately dense middleweight flavors conclude in a markedly rustic, robust and youthfully austere finale that is persistent if slightly warm. This is very Gevrey in character and a wine that's going to require at least some patience.

A wonderfully spicy broad-ranging nose features pure notes of wild red currant, leather, earth and a hint of wood influence. The delicious, vibrant and muscular medium weight plus flavors possess a beguiling mid-palate texture while exuding a subtle bead of minerality on the balanced, lingering and youthfully austere finale. This is excellent though a wine destined for long-term keeping.

Moderate reduction again holds sway over the fruit at present. By contrast, there is excellent verve, volume and concentration to the large-scaled flavors that also flash evident power on the compact, serious and youthfully austere finish that is also a bit Cistercian.

There is ample earth character to the markedly floral-scented nose of various red berries, soft wood and a hint of smoked game. The beautifully textured, if not particularly concentrated middleweight flavors possess excellent vibrancy as well as focused power that seems to build on the beautifully long finish that really tightens up as it sits on the palate. This is a deceptive wine in that it seems a bit light but delivers superb flavor authority.

This is also markedly floral in character with its cool, airy and equally pure nose of the essence of red berries, forest floor, earth and similar hint of smoked game. The delicious, vibrant and somewhat denser medium-bodied flavors possess a super-sleek yet solidly powerful mouthfeel, all wrapped in a detailed, balanced and beautifully persistent finish. I very much like the fruit-acid-tannin balanced and this is so good that it could well be the finest Charmes of the 2022 vintage.

An admirably subtle touch of wood serves as a backdrop for the exuberantly floral-infused and perfumed nose that offers up notes of exotic spice, poached plum and jasmine tea. The equally tautly muscular yet refined and lilting flavors are blessed with excellent punch and power while exhibiting a pungent minerality on the hugely long built-to-age finish. This refined effort is both stylish and very classy.

Moderately firm reduction pushes the underlying fruit to the background. More interesting are the rich, punchy and appealingly textured medium-bodied flavors that possess a more sophisticated texture that carries over the dusty and moderately austere finale that also comes up somewhat short. I again suspect that this will better harmonize once it is in bottle.

Here too there is just enough wood to notice lurking in the background of the earthy and fresh aromas of red currant and forest floor. The racy, delicious and beautifully delineated medium weight flavors exude a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere, balanced and lingering finish. This too could use better depth but the potential is present for that to occur. Worth considering.

This is also agreeably airy with spicier aromas of pepper and floral-suffused black cherry and a vague hint of the sauvage. Like the La Justice the middleweight flavors possess a refined texture as well as notably more minerality that adds a sense of lift to the dusty, serious, compact and chiseled finish where a touch of austerity slowly emerges. This is excellent for its level and a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping.

A more elegant and airier nose reflects aromas of various red berries, spice and a floral top note. The much more refined if not especially dense flavors also possess good energy as well as very good detail on the dusty, youthfully austere and harmonious finale. Lovely and a wine that could be enjoyed young if desired.

An elegant, spicy and very pretty, even perfumed, nose is comprised by notes of spiced tea, earth, red and dark currant and a very subtle application of wood. The refined, vibrant and utterly delicious middleweight flavors exude evident minerality on the compact, youthfully austere and much better-balanced finale. Lovely and built-to-age.

Firm reduction and oak toast are all that can be discerned at present. More interesting are the sleek, vibrant and moderately refined middleweight flavors that also flash plenty of minerality on the tautly muscular, linear and firmly austere finale. This is very good but the word Cistercian comes to mind so patience advised.

This too is elegant, airy and cool with its array of essence of red berries, spice and more obvious floral nuances. There is a bit more volume and concentration to the equally refined and intensely stony medium weight flavors that conclude in a sneaky long, moderately austere and attractively complex finale. Excellent.

Like the Les Cras, this too is firmly reduced and revealing nothing on the nose at present. The racy and more refined, if slightly less concentrated, medium-bodied flavors also brim with minerality on the balanced, long and less overtly austere finale though there is a trace. Lovely.

More evident wood influence is present on the beautifully layered aromas of red and dark cherry, forest floor, spice and pretty floral nuances. The rich, moderately concentrated and palate soaking medium-bodied flavors display focused power on the firm, serious and built-to-age finale. This is excellent and well-worth a look provided you intend to cellar it for at least 5 or so years first.