Producer note: Resident enologist François Millet described the 2012 vintage as one that had a "very difficult spring and summer. We had one day of rain for every two days that mixed cloudy weather with sunshine. There was intense disease pressure, most particularly from mildew but there was also hail which cost us some quantity as well. But the biggest factor affecting yields was the poor weather in June that caused the flowering to proceed badly. Then, after the cool weather that characterized almost all of the April to July period, we had a heat wave at the end of July that sunburned any bunches that were directly exposed. This cost us more potential yield. In fact about the only problem that we could have had but didn't is botrytis and the absence of rot and the good weather in August and September allowed us to have exceptionally clean and ripe fruit. We began picking on the 22nd of September and there was almost no sorting required. The potential alcohols were right around 13% and the phenolic maturity was exceptional. As to the wines, what I find interesting about them is that they are intensely mineral and often when we have vintages that accentuate minerality the wines are often somewhat austere. But in 2012 the wines are very stony but they aren't austere. One other characteristic that seems to characterize the wines is how floral they are. I really like the 2012 vintage as I didn't expect this level of quality. On the other hand, I wish that we had more of it." The 2012s chez de Vogüé are really lovely wines that should thoroughly repay extended cellaring. The 2011s, revisited below, were bottled between January and March 2013 and have turned out about like I originally foresaw. Tasting note: A strikingly well-layered nose displays notes of dark berry fruit, flowers, spice and earth scents. There is fine richness to the round and again quite voluminous middle weight plus flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in muscular finish that displays excellent persistence. This is relatively refined in the context of what is typically a robust appellation thanks to the very fine grain of the supporting structure.

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