The 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and orange rind that mingle with nuances of peonies, Asian spices, raw cocoa and smoky new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, velvety and succulent, with a fleshy core of succulent fruit that cloaks its fine structuring tannins, bright acids and a long, expansive finish. Is this the greatest wine in the Méo cellar in 2017? Longtime fans of Domaine Méo-Camuzet will be delighted by the 2017 vintage at this address, as the domaine has produced an attractive collection of charming, supple wines that are beautifully defined by site but which will also be unusually approachable out of the gates. While many of the wines had been racked not long before my tasting, they were still expressive, and I suspect they will prove even more satiny and gourmand in bottle. Méo began picking on September 6, finishing just over a week later. Like many others, he reports that the wines fleshed out considerably during élevage and is thinking of bottling them a little earlier than usual.

| William Kelley