Domaine René Cacheux Vosne-Romanée 2010: Dark Fruit, Velvet and the Price of Burgundy Elegance
Vosne-Romanée is one of those names that can make a wine expensive before anyone has pulled the cork. The village is home to some of Burgundy’s most coveted vineyards, and even its humbler bottles tend to command considerable respect. Domaine René Cacheux’s Vosne-Romanée 2010 offers a glimpse of that celebrated character without pretending to possess the grandeur of Romanée-Conti.
The 2010 vintage gives this Pinot Noir a voluptuous, unusually generous personality. Black cherries, ripe raspberries and violets mingle with liquorice, warm spices and an earthy undertone. The palate has substance, and the tannins retain a firm, slightly uncompromising grip beneath the velvety fruit.
There is genuine charm here, but also a certain severity. The oak makes its presence felt, the structure demands attention, and the wine is considerably more serious than its delicate perfume initially suggests.
The Basics
- Producer: Domaine René Cacheux & Fils
- Wine: Vosne-Romanée
- Vintage: 2010
- 0Appellation: Vosne-Romanée AOC
- Classification: Village
- Region: Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
- Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
- Vineyard holdings: 0.73 hectares for the village cuvée
- Soils: Clay and loam
- Harvest: Manual picking and sorting
- Vinification: Fully destemmed grapes, fermented in open vats with indigenous yeasts
- Extraction: Regular punch-downs
- Ageing: 18 months in oak barrels, 30% new
- Fining and filtration: Neither
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Serving temperature: 15–16°C
Domaine René Cacheux: A Small Estate in an Expensive Village
Domaine René Cacheux & Fils is a small family property based in the heart of Vosne-Romanée. The estate’s history began with the arrival of the Blee family in the village during the early twentieth century. Through marriage, the property eventually passed into the Cacheux family, and Gérald Cacheux now represents its continuing winemaking tradition.
The domaine cultivates less than four hectares, including vineyards in Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny. Its holdings include the prestigious Premier Cru sites of Les Suchots and Les Beaux Monts.
The village Vosne-Romanée comes from a much smaller holding of approximately 0.73 hectares.
There is nothing particularly theatrical about the estate’s philosophy. Vineyard work is careful, the grapes are sorted by hand, fermentation relies on indigenous yeasts, and oak maturation is substantial without becoming extravagant.
The property follows a traditional Burgundian approach, although its wines can be quite assertive in youth, especially when the tannins and new wood have yet to settle.
The distinction between village and Premier Cru is particularly important in Vosne-Romanée. A village wine cannot reasonably be expected to possess the concentration, aromatic intricacy or ageing potential of the finest climats.
But a good producer can still give it considerable distinction.
The 2010 Vintage and Winemaking
Burgundy’s 2010 vintage was exceptionally warm and generous. After a wet spring, the summer brought prolonged sunshine and dry conditions, allowing Pinot Noir to develop ripe fruit and considerable concentration.
The wines are generally richer than those of cooler years, often with softer acidity, darker fruit and a more substantial tannic structure.
For Vosne-Romanée, that generosity can be both an advantage and a complication.
The village is celebrated for its extraordinary aromatic refinement, but excessive ripeness can make Pinot Noir lose some of its delicate, elusive character. The challenge is to preserve fragrance and freshness without sacrificing the richness of the vintage.
At Domaine René Cacheux, the grapes are harvested manually and completely destemmed before fermentation in open vats. Indigenous yeasts initiate fermentation, while regular punch-downs help extract colour and tannins.
The wine then spends eighteen months in oak barrels, 30% of them new.
This is a significant maturation period for a village Burgundy. The barrels contribute spice and texture, but they also impose a structural discipline that can make the wine seem austere before sufficient bottle ageing.
The result is a relatively concentrated expression of Vosne-Romanée, with more muscle than one might expect from the appellation’s reputation for perfume and silk.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep ruby red, with garnet reflections beginning to appear around the rim. More concentrated than the pale, translucent appearance often associated with delicate Pinot Noir.
Bouquet: Black cherry, raspberry and dark berries introduce a fragrant, seductive nose. Violets provide a distinctly Burgundian floral touch, followed by liquorice, dried rose petals and a restrained earthy note.
The oak brings warm spice and a hint of toasted wood. As the wine opens, the perfume becomes darker and more intriguing, with suggestions of woodland leaves and a discreet leathery nuance.
There is an attractive tension between the ripe fruit of the vintage and the more austere, autumnal character beginning to emerge with maturity.
Palate: Broad, velvety and firmly structured. Ripe cherry and raspberry give the opening a generous, almost luxurious texture, but the wine quickly reveals its more serious side.
The tannins are fine yet persistent, with a slightly grainy grip that prevents the palate from becoming excessively soft. Acidity gives the fruit definition, while liquorice and oak spice introduce a darker, more savoury register.
The wine has good density and an appealingly supple middle palate, although the wood still contributes a degree of severity. Its structure is more impressive than its aromatic evolution, which remains relatively straightforward for such an illustrious appellation.
Finish: Dry, persistent and gently spicy, with lingering dark cherry, violet and a faintly earthy bitterness. The tannins leave a firm impression, suggesting that the wine retains some capacity for further development.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
