A tannins-dominated wine, firm and dry. The fruit is relatively subdued, with a juicy character of raspberries, red plum skins and crisp acidity. This is a wine that needs aging to soften those tannins: give it 4–5 years. ——R.V.(7/1/2010)—— 92

The Bouchard 2006 Vosne-Romanee Les Malconsorts emphasizes the bitter side of bitter-sweet black fruits and herbs, which mingle with meat stock on a firm and for the vintage surprisingly substantial palate. Here is another slightly austere but impressively persistent Pinot in the present collection, and one that deserves to be revisited in 2010. I suspect it will merit following for 5-6 years. Director Philippe Prost emphasized the importance of flexible and surgical picking (with a crew numbering upwards of 300) and getting his crop to Bouchard's battery of presses within two hours via a fleet of mini-vans. He insists that relatively little triage was necessary on the domaine vineyards (as opposed to those under contract) and the estate wines are certainly predictably stronger as a group. (I have generally mentioned in the notes that follow which wines are from Bouchard's domaine and which from contract fruit, but have explicitly noted this as part of a wine's description, only if there are two versions of the same appellation within the present portfolio.) The fruit was crushed very gently and the wines racked only once – at 10-14 months, than usual – explains Prost, in order to guard against exposed or drying tannins, a policy which my tastings suggest was generally successful. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

From its privileged position right next to the grand cru of La Tache, Aux Malconsorts has produced a heady, perfumed wine, relatively delicate, relying on its succulent red fruits to give body. It is on the sweet side of Pinot Noir, jammy with red berry flavors, and already delicious. ——R.V.(12/31/2008)—— 92

A 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Malconsorts smells of black raspberry, red licorice and smoked meat. Full and rich on the palate, with bitter sweet fruit and herb flavors as well as underlying meatiness, smokiness and stony minerality, this lingers impressively although it shows a trace of heat albeit at a not especially high 13.7% alcohol. Managing director Stephane Follin and cellar master Philippe Prost preside over a remarkable new, gravity-fed winemaking facility capable of handling the fruits of Bouchard’s 130 hectares of vines – Burgundy’s largest estate (with 84 hectares in premier and grand crus alone) – not to mention the enormous range of wine from purchased fruit or wines. Fully 40% of the reds are vinified in open-top fermenters with manual punch-downs (the balance in a battery of roto-fermentors) and the system of traffic control alone that must be in place during crush is hard to imagine. The underground acreage devoted to barriques similarly defies imagination – until one sees it. Prost was very cautious with pigeage this year, but incorporated a significant percentage of whole clusters with stems in many of his better lots. A reputation for improved quality is being built here to which the results of 2005 will certainly contribute. I suspect that a number of the wines I tasted had not recovered from their recent bottling, hence the number of “+?”s one sees displayed following my scores. (Wines from the Domaine are designated D on the list above.) Also recommended: 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres D ($30.00; 86), 2005 Monthelie Les Duresses D ($35.00; 84), 2005 Monthelie Clos des Champs Fulliot D ($35.00; 85), 2005 Beaune 1er Cru “Beaune du Chateau” D ($45.00; 86+?), 2005 Beaune Marconnets ($35.00; 86+?), 2005 Volnay Taillepieds D ($55.00; 85+?), 2005 Pommard 1er Cru ($45.00; 84+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($55.00; 85), 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin ($35.00; 86), 2005 Vosne-Romanee ($35.00; 85), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Porrets St.-Georges ($55.00; 86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes ($55.00; 86+?). Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY