A deft touch of wood frames highly spiced black berry and cherry fruit aromas trimmed in hints of underbrush and warm earth that complement the very rich, refined and admirably concentrated flavors that are both complex and delicious, all wrapped in a vibrant and velvety finish. This is quite firm, dense and serious but beautifully balanced and the '05 is one of the best vintages that I have seen for the Méo Chaumes. Simply great potential for development over the medium term, which is to say over the next decade. Drink: 2015+
-Allen Meadows, burghound.com Issue: 31. Tasted: Jul 01, 2008

The 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes displays some of the most bitterly-concentrated of vintage-typical black fruits, along with notes of game on the nose. Firm but ripe and rich in the mouth, with cassis, elderberry and beet root accented by salty, stony minerality and savory soy and meat juice character, this finishes with striking length, but will need a decade in the cellar, I suspect, becoming silky and more generous. Between the effects of drought and of localized hail (in May, before it could effect quality) Jean-Nicolas Meo reported one of his smallest-ever harvests. His production, however, is being boosted these days by a range of negociant wines under the label “Meo-Camuzet Frere et Soeur” (marked “F&S” in the listing above). The top wines had been assembled in tank and sulfured in preparation for bottling, and were suffering a bit on account of this. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524. Also a Jean-Marie de Champs Selection (various importers), French fax 011 33 3 80 22 58 25.

Wine Advocate April, 2007

The 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes displays some of the most bitterly-concentrated of vintage-typical black fruits, along with notes of game on the nose. Firm but ripe and rich in the mouth, with cassis, elderberry and beet root accented by salty, stony minerality and savory soy and meat juice character, this finishes with striking length, but will need a decade in the cellar, I suspect, becoming silky and more generous.

Bright medium ruby-red. Pure aromas of blackberry, licorice and violet. Ripe, dense and sweet, with firm underlying minerality giving definition to the dark fruit and chocolate flavors. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins. Meo believes this may turn out to be his best Chaumes to date.