Inelegant finish aside, this was a hugely impressive wine - the best and most complete example of Clos Vougeot that I have had in a long time. It had that beautiful Leroy intensity on the nose, with smoky, meaty, brambly nuances, and loads of spicy tones dancing around a deep, dark core of berry fruit aromas. An arresting bouquet. The palate was full and intense, with luscious flavours of sweet plums and dark berries showing both muscular power and wonderful purity, all this seasoned with loads of spicy, woody, brambly accents. The wine had such an awesome scale - just layer after voluptuous layer of flavour leading into a finish of superb length. It was never the freshest drop, but there it was certainly devently balanced enough to carry all its weight quite effortless. It was indeed only on the back-palate where the 2003 really came out, not so much in the ripeness of the fruit, but in the way some powdery, slightly woody tannins came to the fore and made the wine feel just that touch more rustic than one would normally associate with Leroy. Apart from that though, a truly great CdV drinking quite at peak.

---

Show more

---

---

Show less

---