The 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux has turned out very well, transcending my cautious assessment from barrel. Mingling brooding aromas of wild berries, smoked meats and dark chocolate with notions of violets, orange rind and exotic spices, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with a muscular but elegantly rendered chassis of powdery tannins, succulent balancing acids and a nicely defined finish. This is a denser, broader shouldered wine than the more elegant, ethereal 2017, but despite their quite different profiles they are qualitatively similar.

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée En Orveaux 1er Cru offers red cherries, raspberry coulis and a light camphor scent on the nose, quite playful with a touch of decadence, though it loses definition in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, quite taut and structured, yet compromised by its bretty finish. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.