Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee 2016 view 1

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Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanée 2016

Red Wine from France - Burgundy

0 Reviews

A Vosne that’s light on its feet, with a lively freshness and appealing sweet tannins.

£70.00 Bottle

£420.00 Case of 6

In Stock

Code: BU66781

Wine characteristics

Red Wine
Medium-bodied
Pinot Noir
75cl
Now to 2031
13% Alcohol
oak used but not v. noticeable
Cork, natural

Côte de Nuits

Taking its name from the town at its heart, Nuits-St-Georges, the Côte de Nuits is the northern half of the Côte dâ€™Or, the escarpment upon which lie the greatest of Burgundyâ€™s vineyards. Though there are a number of very fine white wines made it is the reds for which the Côte de Nuits is truly famous. Compared with the red wines of the Côte de Beaune the reds from Nuits have more sophisticated tannins, extra body and a more sumptuous texture than their southern counterparts.

The soils of the area are predominantly limestone of various types, which is excellent for drainage but also retention of water. The finest have a happy conjunction of silt and scree over marl with protected and sunny aspects in some of the side-valleys that cut into the escarpment from west to east. These cuts provide a number of meso- and microclimates as well as the various aspects. The best sites are neither at the top or the bottom of these slopes where the soils are too impoverished or too fertile...

Taking its name from the town at its heart, Nuits-St-Georges, the Côte de Nuits is the northern half of the Côte dâ€™Or, the escarpment upon which lie the greatest of Burgundyâ€™s vineyards. Though there are a number of very fine white wines made it is the reds for which the Côte de Nuits is truly famous. Compared with the red wines of the Côte de Beaune the reds from Nuits have more sophisticated tannins, extra body and a more sumptuous texture than their southern counterparts.

The soils of the area are predominantly limestone of various types, which is excellent for drainage but also retention of water. The finest have a happy conjunction of silt and scree over marl with protected and sunny aspects in some of the side-valleys that cut into the escarpment from west to east. These cuts provide a number of meso- and microclimates as well as the various aspects. The best sites are neither at the top or the bottom of these slopes where the soils are too impoverished or too fertile respectively. More generic wines are produced at the top and bottom of these slopes, with the Premiers Crus and Grand Crus in a band running along the upper middle.

The climate here is semi-continental, though northerly winds can temper a hot summer while warmer winds from the south can bring warmth. Westerly winds that ultimately originate in the Atlantic can bring rain but at its worst may deliver devastating hail in incredibly localised storms. There is a degree of unpredictability about vintages in Burgundy that mean more variation than in any other fine wine region.

The appellations that sit above the generic regional ACs in the hierarchy are Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Echézaux and Nuits-St-George. Côte de Nuits â€“Villages is made from grapes grown at either end of the Côte, where the soils and sites are less impressive. Gevrey-Chambertin is a complete and balanced wine, full and harmonious. Wines from Nuits-St-Georges are the most tannic and, like Pommards, need long maturation. For many Vosne-Romanée is the summit. Its wines have beautiful velvety palates: dense and soft, sensuous and tactile. Chambolle-Musigny is the lightest yet one of the most fragrant wines of the Côte de Nuits. It is perhaps Nuits's equivalent of Volnay; a pretty, fine boned wine with exquisite perfume and a silky palate.

Domaine Jean Grivot has long been established as one of Vosne-Romanée's best producers, and they have been bottling their own wines since before the war. The domaine is today run by Jean Grivot's son Etienne with his wife Marienne, daughter Mathilde and son Hubert. Etienne took over from his father in 1990 and is the fifth generation of his family to run the domaine.

Since Etienne took charge, and began to apply his assiduous attention to detail in the vineyards and winery, the domaine has changed to a more concentrated style from lower yields than in the past. For Etienne improvements can always be made in all areas and his diligence has seen the reputation of the domaine return to an upward curve.

Vines have been densely planted to increase competition which results in less fruit and deeper roots. He thins the canopy very specifically depending on the aspect of the slopes but avoiding the southern side, and green harvests to increase fruit quality at picking.

The harvest is done by hand and the bunches are generally 95% destemmed save for some experimentation or if vintage conditions demand otherwise, and natural yeasts are responsible for the fermentation process during which Etienne does not like to punch down the cap when the fermentation begins, as many other winemakers do, instead pumping over once everything is well underway. All the wines go into barrels from several different sources to avoid the predominance of flavour from any single source. At bottling the wines ...

Domaine Jean Grivot has long been established as one of Vosne-Romanée's best producers, and they have been bottling their own wines since before the war. The domaine is today run by Jean Grivot's son Etienne with his wife Marienne, daughter Mathilde and son Hubert. Etienne took over from his father in 1990 and is the fifth generation of his family to run the domaine.

Since Etienne took charge, and began to apply his assiduous attention to detail in the vineyards and winery, the domaine has changed to a more concentrated style from lower yields than in the past. For Etienne improvements can always be made in all areas and his diligence has seen the reputation of the domaine return to an upward curve.

Vines have been densely planted to increase competition which results in less fruit and deeper roots. He thins the canopy very specifically depending on the aspect of the slopes but avoiding the southern side, and green harvests to increase fruit quality at picking.

The harvest is done by hand and the bunches are generally 95% destemmed save for some experimentation or if vintage conditions demand otherwise, and natural yeasts are responsible for the fermentation process during which Etienne does not like to punch down the cap when the fermentation begins, as many other winemakers do, instead pumping over once everything is well underway. All the wines go into barrels from several different sources to avoid the predominance of flavour from any single source. At bottling the wines are only filtered if necessary but are not fined..

The domaine's 15 hectares include parcels in Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Clos de Vougeot, Echézeaux and Richebourg.

This is certainly a winery that is not resting on its laurels.

It is difficult to compare this special vintage with previous ones: the wines have the aromas of a cool year and the palates of a ripe one. Normally, wines with ripe palates will have less intense aromas, while aromatic wines can have excessive acidity or scratchy tannins. In 2016, we have all the benefits and none of the disadvantages. The only big problem is quantity: 2016 produced roughly half a normal crop due to a severe frost. What has been made, however, is exceptional.

Reds are pure, intense and exquisite, especially in the Côte d’Or, which had the best weather. Combine this with deep colour, ripe fruit, sweet tannins and a fresh finish, and one has something very rare. The ripe character and the quality of the tannins are remarkable.

There is some inconsistency in style – the frost damage is very variable, so that leads to great differences in yield and therefore ripeness – but quality is uniformly high, with medium to long-term ageing potential. An exceptional year.

The whites ...

It is difficult to compare this special vintage with previous ones: the wines have the aromas of a cool year and the palates of a ripe one. Normally, wines with ripe palates will have less intense aromas, while aromatic wines can have excessive acidity or scratchy tannins. In 2016, we have all the benefits and none of the disadvantages. The only big problem is quantity: 2016 produced roughly half a normal crop due to a severe frost. What has been made, however, is exceptional.

Reds are pure, intense and exquisite, especially in the Côte d’Or, which had the best weather. Combine this with deep colour, ripe fruit, sweet tannins and a fresh finish, and one has something very rare. The ripe character and the quality of the tannins are remarkable.

There is some inconsistency in style – the frost damage is very variable, so that leads to great differences in yield and therefore ripeness – but quality is uniformly high, with medium to long-term ageing potential. An exceptional year.

The whites have a similar blend of freshness and ripeness – traits that are usually diametrically opposed. To find them in the same wines is very unusual.

There is a little more variation in style and quality than for the reds. The Côte d’Or was the warmest region, while Chablis was distinctly cooler, with a rainy September, making bright, tense and classic wines. The Mâconnais, spared the frost, was successful too, but 1,500ha were damaged by hail in the south of the region.