Description
Domaine Fabrice Vigot, Vosne-Romanée “Les Damaudes”
Domaine Vigot is run by Fabrice and Christine Vigot, who founded the estate in 1990 by combining the landholdings of their respective families. Most notably, Fabrice’s father worked with the famed Dr. Georges Mugneret in the 1960s, looking after some of their most prized vineyards in a sharecropping agreement that lasted through 2016. Meaning, the Vigot family played a significant role in the creation of Burgundy’s most legendary, expensive, and sought-after wines—those of Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg.
To get to the lieu-dit of “Les Damaudes,” you leave the village of Vosne and climb up the hill, passing directly through the heart of DRC’s Grand Cru “La Tâche.” After another minute of climbing, you’ve arrived at this special site, at the top of the hill just above Premier Cru “Aux Malconsorts.” This is one of those vineyards that leaves you scratching your head, wondering how it was left out of the Premier Cru conversation, especially once you realize the portion that bleeds into neighboring Nuits-Saint-Georges (“Les Damodes”) holds that coveted status! The Vigots farm their sliver of ancient vines—planted in 1934—with organic principles and a biodynamic focus. Their grapes were hand-harvested and partially de-stemmed, leaving around half of the clusters intact during the native-yeast fermentation. The resulting wine spent 18 months in Burgundian barrels, 50% new. Bottling occurred without fining or filtering.
Given the ancient raw material, Premier/Grand Cru proximity, and limited production, “Les Damaudes” is unquestionably the crown jewel of Domaine Fabrice Vigot! This is dense, concentrated, powerful Vosne that opens up like a gorgeous flower in the glass with time. The breathtakingly perfumed nose brimming erupts with macerated black cherries, redcurrant, damp violets, blood orange peel, black tea, damp earth, nutmeg, licorice, white pepper, and finely crushed stones. The refined, melt-in-your-mouth textures on the palate are driven by a lush core of dark, ripe berry fruit and a dynamic mineral imprint. Decant for no less than 30 minutes and save your others for as long as possible. They’ll be even better in 2-5 years, and extraordinary beyond that.
