The Domaine René Engel of Vosne-Romanée of Côte de Nuits

Discovering the wine region of Vosne-Romanée

Vosne-Romanée is a small commune in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits district, known mainly for its red wine from the Pinot Noir grape. Originally named just Vosne, the Village took the suffix Romanée in 1866 in honor of its most prized Vineyard, La Romanée. It is often grouped together with the neighboring commune of Flagey-Echézeaux; while the villages are entirely separate, their finest vineyards are clustered together immediately North of Vosne-Romanée. The classic Vosne-Romanée wine is considered by many to have the perfect Balance of weight, Structure, elegance and longevity.

Tasting notes often refer to a combination of tart red fruits (particularly cherries and raspberries) and darker elements of undergrowth, licorice and smoke. The village has been a known source of quality wines for more than a thousand years, since the arrival of the monks of the Saint-Vivant monastery. Today, it makes wine almost exclusively from Pinot Noir, although up to 15 percent of the local white varieties are permitted, to allow for natural planting variations and mutations. The wines are made under the Vosne-Romanée communal appellation (with about one-third coming from premier cru sites) and six grand cru appellations, each pertaining to a specific vineyard.

The entire surface area of Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru vineyards is only 27 hectares (67 acres – about half the Size of the single Clos de Vougeot climat just across the commune boundary). This is divided between six individual sites: La Grand Rue, La Tâche, Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and the most famous, Romanée-Conti. Despite this small surface area, Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru red wines are some of the most respected (and most expensive) in the world. Vosne-Romanée's best vineyards lie just above the village, on the mid-slopes of the Côte d'Or; this is where the grand cru sites are located.