Tasted in Meursault with Claire & Michel Bardet, 22 November 2022.
Domaine Albert Grivault
7 Place du Murger
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 23 12
More reports with Domaine Albert Grivault.
I was sorry to hear that Michel lost his sister just a couple of weeks before my visit – the two together had run this domaine for very many years…
Michel on 2022:
“In 2022 we are very happy. We made plenty of wine from fine grapes – almost to the limit in the villages, the 1er just a bit less. But it won’t compensate for the 80% losses in 2021.”
Michel on 2021:
In 2021 the domaine here had a novel approach to trying to protect their Clos des Perrières – two large radiators/air-conditioning units. Aided by walls on 4 sides they could keep hold of some of the warmth so saved nearly 60% of their crop in clos in an area where most lost at least 80% – though for the domaine as a whole, they still lost 80%… “We only took one new barrel per appellation in 21 – as we had such low volumes. 6 barrels of Clos des Perrières and 10 of Perrières in this vintage. On its own, the wall of the Clos doesn’t protect against the frost…”
The wines…
Hard work for such small volumes – but the ‘Clos’ is clearly a great one in 2021 – it’s worth a special search to find!
The whites were bottled at the end of July – just before the harvest – starting with Perrières and then their Clos des Perrières before moving onto their Pommard, Bourgogne and Meursault. ‘We had to get a move on, as the acidity started to drop:’
2021 Bourgogne Clos des Murgers
The vines in the domaine’s ‘garden.’
A sombre but well-constructed nose; faintly with some barrel. Supple, quite some concentration and generosity – holding long with a good sustained mineral impression.
2021 Meursault
Also in the domaine’s ‘garden’ – only the age of the vines is different – 50-year-old vines here vs 21 for the Bourgogne.
Just a little more open and here an impression of cut hay. Supple more finely textured and broadening out deliciously – extra silky and a little extra class too. Fading deliciously.
2021 Meursault 1er Perrières
Here we have plenty of floral accompaniment – white flowers. Super in the mouth too – rocky but still silk, then broadening again in the finish – a clear step up in minerality for this wine. The last drops in the glass are so beautifully floral perfumed!
Again floral but rounder, more honied, more acacia in style – and quite concentrated too. Much larger in the mouth – extra scale here – beautifully shaped and gorgeously mineral. A great vintage for this wine – bravo!
And Les Reds:
2021 Pommard 1er Clos Blanc
‘Clos blanc works really well in hot years, better than Epenots as there’s more soil’ says Michel. Though, obviously, this was no hot year…
Red fruit and forward violet perfume – this is such an attractive and pure aromatic. It has nice width and is incisive, mouth-watering and, pure – absolutely delicious wine. Juicy finishing. Another really super and extra-drinkable wine.