Domaine Forey Pere & Fils

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This small but outstanding domaine was created in 1840 by the great-grandfather of Régis Forey, the current proprietor. This is a gem in the village of Vosne-Romanée. Rosenthal has been working with the Forey domaine ever since their initial visit when they purchased the wines from the 1980 vintage for export to the USA. At the time Jean Forey, the father of Régis, was the reigning vigneron. The 1987 vintage marked the entry of Régis into the domaine on a full-time basis, and he became fully responsible for all aspects of production and winemaking with the 1989 vintage. In contrast to the wines of his father, who produced seductive wines of finesse and delicacy, Régis expresses a more masculine personality as his wines show exceptional concentration and depth.

The Forey domaine now exploits about 10 hectares of vineyards; 5 as proprietor and 5 through the systems of fermage and metayage. The primary family holdings are in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Echezeaux. With the recent additions, the domaine extends its reach into the villages of Vougeot and Morey-Saint-Denis. A manual harvest is followed by a 3 to 4 day cold maceration. The cuvaison usually continues for three to four weeks. During that time Forey does a pigeage the extent of which depends on the underlying structure of the vintage. The malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. There is now only one racking done during the period of elevage. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered after spending 16 to 20 months in small oak barrels and demi-muids (used primarily for the village and simple Bourgogne appellations) with 20% to 50% new oak used depending on the structure and the character of the vintage as well as the amount produced of each individual cuvée.

Vinous Media 1/2016
"Régis Forey started harvesting relatively early in 2014, on September 13, but noted that he had to wait for phenolic maturity (he didn't start picking until September 12 in 2015, which was quite late in the context of that vintage). The relatively early picking, he believes, has given the 2014s more thrust and dynamism. He told me he did very little chaptalization. Forey describes his young 2014s as 'saline and digestible, even a bit taut.' He added that the 2013s are rounder and better balanced, with lower acidity. 'The '13s have more tannins and may be in the process of closing down now, while the 2014s are livelier.' Forey vinified the '14s with about 40% whole clusters and now does minimal punchdowns during the fermentation--an average of one per day."