Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru “La Romanée” 2014

The 2014 Romanée is a wine whose best days are clearly in front of it. Today the nose shows gingerbread and cherries, with briary, brambly fruits and a pleasant toastiness. In the mouth this walks a beautiful line between robust Gevrey structure and elegant mineral notes. The tannins are perfectly extracted — intense and bold but not at all bitter or dry.

Burghound awarded 91 points, finding it “impressively concentrated” and calling it “a wine of finesse.” After revisiting the wine a year after his initial tasting, he named it “particularly outstanding” for its appellation.

Old vines (planted in the 1950s), exceptional terroir, expert winemaking, and an excellent vintage — all make it hard to find much wrong with this wine. It’s not exactly cheap, but the best in any category rarely is.