Tasted with Pauline Passot in Chiroubles, 23 February 2022.
Domaine de la Grosse Pierre
Pauline Passot
409 Route de la Grosse Pierre
69115 Chiroubles
Tel: +33 4 74 69 12 17
www.domainedelagrossepierre.fr/
More reports with Domaine Pauline Passot
Pauline on 2021:
“2021 is a small volume for us – about half a harvest. It was the result of a mix of frost in some places, and mildew in others.”
Pauline on 2020:
“Another vintage with a bit lower volume but overall it was a very good year; a sunny one that we were harvesting already in August because of the vintage warmth…”
The wines…
Much as I loved the 2019s from Pauline – and I bought some – maybe these 2020s are even better. Clearly a great result!
2020 Chiroubles La Grosse Pierre
The major cuvée here, 3.5 ha of vines around the domaine – the bottom of the hills of Chiroubles – rose granite but very decomposed. All cement elevage for this
Plenty of colour. That’s a lovely nose – full of red fruit and very good energy. Direct and mineral – quite a structure but in a great way – wait 6-12 months for this – slightly strict but excellent wine.
Also from Gross Pierre – 2 ha – the assembly of the oldest vines of the domaine planted in the 1930s by Pauline’s great-grandfather.
A sweet and generous depth of very fine darker-red fruit. Large-scaled in the mouth – depth to this fruit that’s inflected with a graphite minerality. I love the structure again – also strict but perhaps a little less. Super vibrant finish. Great Chiroubles but wait up to 12 months again.
At 460 m – another lieu-dit. This the last bottling, done just 3 weeks ago. From the high part of Chiroubles over 150m higher than the Grosse Pierre vines but directly south-facing. Much closer to the mother rock here.
Ooh – a great, great nose – mainly fruit but what fruit! Supple, gorgeous energetic flavour – full of freshness rather than richness. Great wine – the altitude has really balanced the warmth of the vintage – a great wine!
They have a couple of Fleuries here too – but they were sold-out…
Rose granite – it’s not far from Fleurie but a little blue-stone also in the mix here.
Higher-toned aromatic energy here – high tones but no pyrazine – a great nose. Hmm – that’s equally fine – a little more direct, a little less strict but still properly structural – it’s Morgon. Persistent – another great wine – well done to Pauline.