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98
/ 100
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95
/ 100
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95
/ 100
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95
/ 100
Tasting Notes
Domaine François Lamarche are sole owners of La Grande Rue, one of the four grand cru monopoles of Vosne-Romanée (La Tâche, La Romanée and La Romanée Conti are the others)
Burgundy Domaines such as this are a rare find – even more exceptional because the vineyard holdings here are almost entirely made up of Grand Cru and Premier Cru parcels in Vosne/Echézeaux
This domaine has its roots at the start of the 20th century when Henri Lamarche, a cooper, married Marie Grivelet from Chambolle-Musigny. Henri started making his own wines and selling them directly from the estate. It was his son who gained the La Grande Rue vineyard from his wife's family by way of a dowry. This was in the 1930s when there wasn't great demand for burgundy and grands crus attracted more tax, so M Lamarche decided to leave the vineyard as a premier cru (this is despite its location between La Tâche and Romanée-Conti). In 1989 La Grande Rue was elevated to grand cru status by the INAO. Lamarche bottles 14 different wines from a little more than 10 hectares of vineyards.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Classification: Red
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750ml (Bottle)
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, Vosne-Romanee
Alcohol %: 13.0%
Cellaring: 15 Plus Years
Scores
98 / 100""Mid crimson colour. The nose is more about elegance than weight. A little iron-rich blood orange nose - there is evident iron oxide in the lower part of the vineyard. The glory of La Grande Rue shows in the more sumptuous texture on the palate, and not just the length of the finish, but also the detail. It still does not wish to make a massive statement but it absolutely fulfils what Nicole Lamarche is trying to achieve.""
- Jasper Morris MW
95 / 100
""Interestingly, this is actually quite similar to the nose of the Grands Ech but it's arguably even spicier and quite cool in the context of the 2018 vintage along with a top note of menthol. The pliant medium-bodied flavors possess a decidedly sleek mouthfeel though the tension really builds from the mid-palate to the firm, dusty and very serious finish that offers outstanding length. Patience strongly advised as this is definitely resolutely structured. In a word, excellent.""
- Allen Meadows
95 / 100
""Nicole Lamarche's wines never overwhelm you with colour or extract, preferring grace and charm to full-throttle flavours. This is a case in point: a gentle, aromatic, sweetly beguiling expression of this 1.65ha monopoly vineyard with tobacco pouch aromas, spicy red cherry and wild strawberry fruit and fine-grained tannins. A Pinot lover's Grand Cru red. (TA)""
- Decanter
95 / 100
""The 2018 La Grande Rue Grand Cru is the famous 1.65-hectare monopole of the domaine that runs parallel to Romanée-Conti and La Romanée on the other side of the road. It has a well-defined bouquet of dark cherries, raspberry, wild hedgerow and traces of Chinese tea, developing tertiary notes after a couple of minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, a satin-like texture and just the right amount of acidity. The caressing, slightly gourmand finish displays hints of meat juices and a subtle savory aspect lends complexity. Very fine. (NM)""
- Neal Martin
