Tasted in Vosne-Romanée with Mathilde Grivot, 30 November 2022.
Domaine Jean Grivot
6 Rue de la Croix Rameau
21700 Vosne-Romanée
Tel: +33 3 80 61 05 95
More reports with Domaine Jean Grivot
Mathilde on 2021:
“2021 is the third vintage in a row that has brought low volumes – 40%, 45% and over 50% less wine, on average, from 2019 to 2021 – so we’ve lost significantly more than one vintage in those years. 2022, thankfully, has volume but we will need to see that again in 2023 to get back to something close to normal. 2021 has a lovely acid balance and has brought us wines of sophistication – we really didn’t want to push the extraction in this vintage – it really was a year to have the courage to do nothing in 2021.”
On this morning it was clearly a family affair with Mathilde working with her brother, Hubert, in the cuvérie. Occasionally both mother and father would pass through and say hello. Father Etienne, only half joking that since he passed the keys of the domaine to the next generation, he now needs a permit to enter the cellar!
The wines…
‘Pure, precise, perfumed – the three words that express the vintage at this address.’ I was very impressed by this domaine’s 2020s but for my taste, their 2021s were next level – possibly the greatest lineup of wines that I tasted in my tour of 21s. If I can try to position for you the style of the wines here, in this vintage, then: Anyone who has had the fortune of tasting the recent vintages of Charles Lachaux will know about the captivating perfumed finesse of those wines – let me describe the Grivot 2021s as occupying a similar orbit – but destemmed! Great. I was swept off my feet. Today was a privilege! And this was my tasting directly after DRC!
2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Older vines in the commune of Vosne – Luitinières
Nice breadth of aroma – red fruit that’s faintly savoury today. Supple, mouth-filling – easy and very tasty. A floral finish that will keep you coming back for more – simply excellent.
2021 Vosne-Romanée
10 different parcels…
Finer, less forward aromas. Volume and silky texture here there is tannin but über-fine. The finish is of vibrant red fruit and whilst less floral than the Bourgogne it holds with more persistence. That’s very good wine – and one with a seriously great finish.
2021 Nuits St.Georges Les Lavières
A vibrancy of aroma – more rose-perfumed. Broader, more supple, perhaps also more concentrated – certainly with a subtly attractive smoky impression. Calmer finishing than the Vosne but a little more perfumed in the direction of the Bourgogne – the most complete wine yet – lovely!
‘Not frosted here as it’s a later developing place’
More direct, narrower but very pure aromatics. The same on the palate, a wine of direct style and fluid of flavour – but not strict. The finish broadening beautifully – bravo!
2021 Vosne-Romanée Bossières
Broader, and quite complex, this nose suggests a faint reduction. Extra freshness and volume – a more herbed complexity but with a complexity that resembles some wc perfume – they destem but whole-berry destem. A faint astringency in the shape – wait 5-10 years, no problem!
Their Chambolle is just racked so not tasted:
A fuller, darker fruit nose – less focused today but with lots to find. Broad, silky, juicy wine – ooh that’s a fine one! The flavour energy in the finish is downright delicious – faintly smoky from the barrel but attractively so. Yes!
More compact but also there’s a little more focus – nice. Mouth-filling, more of a central core of flavour here – but like the nose with precision and a finish that’s so elegant and precise – a beautiful finish – potentially a great Pruliers – it’s already excellent.
A pretty width of red fruit. Open, pure, cool fruit – real precision again. A gorgeous finish – perfumed, sophisticated and pure – it’s simply great here – wow!
Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes – also racked and sulfured today so not shown.
2021 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Rouges
Pretty, airy red fruit with just a hint of generosity. More structural, high-toned flavours – even a little mineral – another ravishing finish – they have really aced that part of their wines in 21.
Another perfumed and high-toned invitation to drink. Wow – again! It’s almost like the perfumed finish starts in the middle and holds and holds – there’s a little more depth to the flavour here – but what a great wine. It wouldn’t matter if it was villages 1er or grand cru – it’s simply great wine.
Deeper and broader red fruit – suggests a hint of reduction. Pure, more discreet, cool fruit with, again, gorgeous transparency. A little more depth to this finish, slightly more serious but great wine again.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Reignots – No Reignots – there was only 40kg of grapes!
Another beautifully perfumed wine – perfect violets here. A little gas but cool, direct and magnificently shaped wine. There’s more structure in this finish but no less perfume.
1.86 ha from the road right up to the vines of Family Labet – 3 different sol types
A narrower nose but clearly more vertical with higher and lower notes, the higher tones of violet and lilac slowly taking charge. Broad, fine shape – the flavour with extra salinity and with extra generosity in the finish too. Ethereal but lacking nothing – and how approachable is this for CV!!! Bravo!
Pure, precise, perfumed – the three words that express the vintage at this address – beautiful. Structure but nothing harsh – only the framework for the mobile, fluid flavour of energy and purity. The last impression has a hint of tannin – but only if you are looking for it! Gorgeous wine…
Richebourg normally 5.5 barrels but only 2 in 21 – they plan no large formats
Less open aromas vs their Echézeaux – yet what depth – a clarity as all the wines here. There’s a palpable extra density to this wine – but without weight. What class! The tannin is there but takes time to search out – the finish starts with ease but then the fireworks start. Complex and floral and, of course, great.