A Vosne to Own

Who doesn’t love a rising-star Vosne-Romanée that’s still a great value?

Philippe Chéron Vosne Romanée "Les Barreaux" is such a wine. It provides a rare opportunity to access a little-known climat next to Crox Parantoux and Richebourg. And to be among the first to discover one of the Côte de Nuit's newest domaines. 

Les Barreaux is a discovery in itself. Most owners—who include Méo-Camuzet, Emmanuel Rouget, David Duband—have too few vines to produce a Les Barreaux bottling. Other than Philippe Chéron, Anne Gros is the only established Les Barreaux producer.

The climat touches Richebourg (on the Verroilles side) and Cros Parantoux. The altitudes of these three climats are: Richebourg (Verroilles): 265-285m, Cros Parantoux: 283-295m, Barreaux: 285-335m.

There are two distinct sections of Les Barreaux—North and South.

The North section extends from Richebourg and along Aux Brulées. The slope has mainly northern exposure and the vines are planted in a north-south direction. Compared the southern section, the slope is less abrupt, the soil is richer in clay and it is harvested later. Anne Gros' parcel (0.39ha) is in this section, and Cheron has 0.30ha here as well—about 1/3 of his Les Barreaux holdings. 

The South section is at higher elevation; it starts from Cros Parantoux and follows Les Petits Monts. The soil is very similar to the Cros Parantoux (sandy, whiter, not as deep than the northern part). The slope is east-oriented and the vines are planted in the east-west direction. Here, Chéron own several plots for a total of 0.40ha. 

For Chéron, the best wine is a blend of both north and south plots. The grapes are manually harvested and sorted twice, destemmed, cold soaked, fermented with natural yeasts, aged on the lees in 50% new oak barrels for 10-14 months before bottling with minimal racking and no fining. 

For a perspective on how the wine compares, Jancis rated the Les Barreaux '16 from both Anne Gros and Chéron identically at 16.5. And Anne Gros "Les Barreaux" '16 retails for $129-$197, while you could retail Chéron for less than a buck.

Altogether, it's a great discovery story that your staff can share with guests:

• Single "lieu dit" Vosne Romanée next to Crox Parantoux

• 25-50% less expensive than equally-rated Anne Gros

• That costs less than $100 in retail or around $150 on a list

How many Vosne lieu-dits do you have in this price zone? Please let us know if you'd like to pick up a box.