Vosne Romanée Les Brûlées, Domaine Engel 1999

An expressive and very Vosne nose that has begun its transition phase reveals ripe and very spicy aromas that are a pretty mix of primary black fruit and secondary notes (though no sous bois). The solidly concentrated medium full flavors are moderately robust and still underpinned by firm and mouth coating tannins as well as an impressively long finish that displays more than a touch of austerity, even after an hour of air. When I first tasted this from cask, it seemed a bit disjointed but it has clearly come together and while I'm not sure that it will ever become a true knockout as the finish is just a touch lean, it's undoubtedly slightly better than I originally projected. Try from 2011+