2016 Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Vosne-Romanee

(I tasted this blend of two vineyards from tank; nearly entirely destemmed and aged in 30% new oak; production here was 40 hectoliters per hectare as there was no frost damage): Good dark red with ruby tones. Dark aromas and flavors of black raspberry and licorice accented by spices. Offers good density and a fine-grained texture. Not the last word in complexity but should give relatively early pleasure. Finishes with a substantial dusting of essentially fine-grained tannins.

The 2016 Vosne-Romanee Villages comes from La Rivière and will probably be blended with a parcel from the lieu-dit of Réas that was undergoing a late malolactic fermentation. It has a pure black cherry and blueberry-scented bouquet that is refined and shows more intensity than the Gevrey-Chambertin. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, quite precise if just requiring a little more substance and flesh on the finish. Maybe that will derive from the other parcel in Réas?