The 2001 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is a magical wine, soaring from the glass with scents of peonies, wild berries, orange rind, wilted rose petals and warm spices. Full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, this has an ample core of fruit, melting tannins and a bright spine of acidity; and it's that spine that distinguishes it from the similarly charming, perfumed but also softer, suppler 2000 vintage. Long and penetrating, this Clos de Vougeot is just entering early maturity.

A very complex nose of cranberry, cherry and a touch of raisin. A warm and inviting bouquet. The palate has a lush, soft texture that lures you in but then build and builds in intensity. Very focused with black cherries dusted with iron filings and a little burnt toast on the finish. Full-bodied, yet with the acidity to cut through that concentration and leave it just nigh-on perfectly balanced. A superb Clos-de-Vougeot. 5,807 bottles produced. Tasted April 2005.

Jammy red cherries, spices, and plums can be found in the expressive aromas of the medium to dark ruby-colored 2001 Clos Vougeot. A pretty wine, it is elegant, supple, delicate, and offers lovely strawberry as well as cherry fruit in its medium-bodied character. Some woody tannin is found in its finish. Drink it over the next 6 years. Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy liked both the 2000 and 2001 vintages, stating that she was “rather pleased with the 2001s as they will bring lots of joy to those who drink them young” and that the 2000s “are candied fruit, reduction of fruit, the essence of fruit.” Many Burgundians chose to bottle their 2001 early in order to “trap” the fruit in the bottle, but Bize-Leroy beat them all to the punch, having completed the bottling process by early September, 2002. Typically an early bottler, Mme. Bize-Leroy felt that the 2001s would lose their fruit to either oxidation or the required sulfuring if left in the barrel for a longer elevage. Overall, Domaine Leroy’s 2001s are a success, though many were found to reveal stemmy, woody tannin in their finishes. If this characteristic melts away quickly, my scores on those wines will appear overly conservative. Importer: Martine’s Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400