Vosne-Romanée, 'Cuvée Honest Grapes', Philippe Pacalet, 2022

The average age of the vines in Philippe’s Vosne-Romanée is 45-years old, and the parcels now include some exceptionally well-placed sites that Burgundy fanatics will drool over, including Premier Cru ‘Aux Brulees’ and ‘Les Barreaux’, which sits directly above Richebourg Grand Cru and the famous Premier Crus Les Petits Monts and Cros Parantoux.

This wine is a worldwide exclusive, and to our knowledge the first-ever such project with the maison: 2022 Philippe Pacalet Vosne-Romanée ‘Cuvée Honest Grapes’, a unique Syndicate Barrel, chosen especially for our members by Philippe. It was bottled by hand, with a special label for syndicate members.

Using only the free run juice from the press, the crème de la crème, the specific Vosne-Romanée barrel was carefully selected by Philippe “for its floral, elegant and structured character” and it blew us away away tasting in the cellar. 

Pacalet’s status cannot be overstated. Formerly winemaker for Domaine Prieuré-Roch, with specific responsibility for their Vosne-Romanée sites, Philippe set up his own operation and, farming biodynamically, insisting on 100% whole bunch fermentations, only natural yeasts, no additional sulphites and with a marked preference for old oak, results in unforgettable, distinctive wines.

Red fruit perfumes of raspberries, hedgerow strawberries and cranberries abound, with notes of white stone dust, violets and exotic sweet spice. Very pure and tensile attack, which fans out in to a succulent, sweet and juicy mid-palate. This shows the joie de vivre of the vintage, but the balance of energy and length is pure Pacalet. The additional parcels this year have ensured this is Philippe’s finest Vosne to date and we have the best barrel!
Tom Harrow

Steen Ohman of Winehog.com comments “I enjoy Pacalet’s wines, and they almost always provide (for me at least) essential hedonistic joy... Painting with a low-sulphur, whole-cluster brush, the wine will often end up on the impressionistic side, with its soul and emotional content as the main elements.”