Tasting of Domaine Forey Père et Fils 2011 from Cask

On my October 2012 visit to Burgundy I had the opportunity to visit Domaine Forey Père et Fils
in Vosne Romanee to taste the 2011 vintage from cask.

Domaine Forey Père et Fils is owned and managed by Régis Forey, a big man with a great sense of humor. Régis was a very generous host as we first tasted most of the 2011s from cask, then a selection of the 2010s from bottle and lastly a few older bottles – a fine tasting indeed.

A little about Domaine Forey Père et Fils

Domaine Forey Père et Fils is one of the less famous domaines in Vosne Romanee. The Domaine was however founded back in 1840 by the great grandfather of Régis Forey, who has been running the estate since 1987. The domaine owns 4,5ha of vineyards and has additional 4,5 – 5ha in fermage or metayage. The vineyards are located in Vosne Romanee, Morey-Saint-Denis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Flagey Echezeaux and Vougeot. The top vineyards are Vosne Romanee Petits Monts, Vosne Romanee Gaudichots, Echezeaux and Clos de Vougeot.

My experiences with older vintages of Domaine Forey wines are quite limited, but it seems like the 2010s and 2011s are more approachable than earlier vintages.

Older vintages from Forey really need a lot of time to shed the sometimes quite abundant tannins – they were old style Burgundies build for cellaring. We also tasted a few older wines from the vintages 2006, 2002 and 2001 – and this confirmed that older vintages really do need time to show.

The 2010s tasted from bottle and the 2011s tasted from cask were all very well balanced, with a higher level of purity and transparancy than older wines I have tasted from this domaine.

I was really impressed by both the 2010s and the 2011s – as they in my view show fine improvements in both drinkability and the overall quality.

Notes from tasting of the 2011 vintage – October 26th 2012

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Nuits-Saint Georges 2011

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 2011 village is quite approacable and is showing dark berries in the nose. On the palate lovely balanced with a good fresh acidity. It has a lovely fruit on the palate – pure and quite juicy – but is lacking some of the depth found in the Vosne Romanee village. A good and likeable effort.

Good (86 – 87p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne Romanee 2011

The Vosne Romanee 2011 is a really beautiful village wine. In the bouquet lovely Vosne spices and a fine expression of forest berries. On the palate lovely pinot fruit with a core quite sweet and lush red fruit – good energy and nerve. It’s well balanced with a good backbone from the fresh acidity and a good minerality. A lovely Vosne village in the making.

Good+ (87 – 88p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Nuits-Saint-Georges Perrieres 2011

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Perrieres is showing well. Made from vines planted between 1937 and 1942. In the bouquet dark deep fruit with red and dark cherries. On the palate good body and length …lovely and pure pinot fruit. Perhaps not offering the same spicy complexity as the Vosne village … but a lovely balanced and very drinkable wine.

Very Good (88 – 89p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 2011

The Les Saint-Georges is a step up from the Perrieres – and a more terroir driven wine. It’s made from very old wines planted back in 1933. In the bouquet wild raspberries, blue berries, dark cherries spiced with a earthy minerality and a touch of toasted oak. On the palate more structured than the Perrieres with a masculine power from the fine terroir of Les Saint-Georges. It’s long with a with a good midpalate concentration. A classic Nuits-Saint-Georges in the making.

Very Good+ (89 – 91p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne Romanee Petits Monts 2011

The Vosne Romanee Petits Monts is my favorite wine in the Forey lineup. The bouquet is very expressive with red and darker forest berries – lovely Vosne spices with notes of violets and peony rose. On the palate a very good energy and nerve in the lovely red fruit. Fine depth in the fruit – love the playful minerality and fresh acidity … a really beautiful wine.

Fine+ (90 – 92p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne Romanee Gaudichots 2011

The Vosne Romanee Gaudichots is a more aloof and severe wine than the Petits Monts. Made from very old wines – planted in 1930 – on the vineyard located just next to the mighty La Tache. In the bouquet fine minerality with more dense and sweeter red fruits than the Petits Monts – notes of peony rose and violets. On the palate lovely pinot fruit with fine depth and firmly focused by the very powerful terroir. It’s long tight and more dense. Lacking a bit of the extrovert charm found in the Petits Monts – this is a wine for cellaring.

Fine+ (90 – 92p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Echezeaux 2011

The Echezeaux is quite expressive and showing quite fine minerality. Made from the two climates Les Treux and Clos Saint Denis in the lower part of the Echezeaux vineyard. In the bouquet lovely red fruit, rose petals and violets … open with a good complexity. On the palate lovely pure red and darker fruit notes – harmonious with a fine length. A fine or perhaps even very fine Echezeaux in the making.

Fine+ (91 – 93p) CASK

Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Clos de Vougeot 2011

The Clos de Vougeot is a step up in concentration from the more mineral driven Echezeaux. In the bouquet pure red wild berries spiced with hints of oak and chocolate. On the palate quite dense and with a powerful midpalate fruit – juicy and quite fresh – with a good energy and intensity. A bigger wine than the Echezeaux but perhaps lacking a bit of the mineralic refinement found in the Echezeaux and Petits Monts.

Fine+ (91 – 93p) CASK

Tasting Notes for this producer

• Domaine Forey, Vosne-Romanee Petits Monts 2012 March 3, 2015
• Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne-Romanee 2012 August 29, 2014
• Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Echezeaux 2012 August 27, 2014
• Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne Les Gaudichots 2012 August 23, 2014
• Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne Les Gaudichots 2011 May 13, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Clos de Vougeot 2011 February 17, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Echezeaux 2011 February 14, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Vosne Romanee Les Gaudichots 2011 February 12, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Vosne Romanee Petits Monts 2011 February 9, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-St-Georges Les Saint Georges 2011 February 6, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-Saint-Georges Perrieres 2011 January 27, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Vosne-Romanee 2011 January 24, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-Saint Georges 2011 January 21, 2013
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Perrieres 2010 December 20, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les St. Georges 2010 December 19, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Clos de Vougeot 2010 December 16, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Vosne Romanee Les Petits Monts 2010 December 11, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Vosne Romanee 2010 December 9, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Nuits-Saint-Georges 2010 December 8, 2012
• Domaine Forey, Morey-Saint-Denis 2010 December 7, 2012
• Domaine Regis Forey Les Gaudichots 2009 July 22, 2011

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