The Fine Wine Review: April 2019

Domaine DUJAC (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2017 Part III: Whites Tasted from Tank Part

Good wines here, but I found a bit more of a spread in quality than I usually do. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine DUJAC (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2017 Part II: Grands Crus Tasted from Barrel

Please see here for background on the vintage and development of the wines in cask. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine DUJAC (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2017 Part I: Village and Premier Cru Reds Tasted from Barrel

These wines had been racked just two or three weeks prior to my visit, and some of the wines were being sulfited at the time of my visit, making them more difficult than usual to taste.

Harvesting began on 5 September. Yields were generous in vineyards that had suffered from the frost in 2016; for those vineyards that escaped the frost, such as those in Morey-Saint-Denis, the quantities were big, but not as big as for the previously-frosted vineyards.

Use of stems was normal here, about 85%. Many of the malolactic fermentations began early, and most were finished by March.

My reviews here are only for the estate wines, not the Dujac Fils & Père wines. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine DIGIOIA-ROYER (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2017 Tasted from Bottle, Tank, and Barrel

Michel Royer said that he began harvesting on 9 September, 15 September for the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. All red wines were destemmed. Quantities were “normal" and overall a bit more than in 2018.

The malolactic fermentations generally finished in January through April, although the Bourgogne and Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Nuits finished later.

The wines are good expressions for the vintage, offering pleasure for early and medium-term drinking while other vintages, such as 2015 and (what little there is of) 2016 mature in the cellars. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine MUGNERET-GIBOURG (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel

Harvesting began on 4 September in order to avoid overripeness in the grapes. Yields were “good" — that is, "normal" quantity (which hasn’t been seen in many recent vintages), but not at the limits; 2018 will have higher yields than 2017.

All grapes were destemmed. Malo-lactic fermentations finished in late 2017 and early 2018, and the wines were racked in July 2018.

The estate continues to take back property that had been under sharecropping agreements (métayage). In particular, it will take back Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Vosne-Romanée, and Echézeaux vines, putting the estate up to 8 ha in size, with a little sharecropping still left of village Vosne and Echézeaux left under Pascal Mugneret.

Unsurprisingly, beautiful, pure wines here for those lucky enough to obtain them. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Robert GROFFIER (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel Samples

Nicolas Groffier said that he began harvesting on 7 September, finished on the 12th or 13th. Malolactic fermentations finished in May and June, as usual. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean GRIVOT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2016 from Barrel Part II: Grands Crus and Vosne-Romanée Premiers Crus

(Originally published 24 November 2017.)

See here for the introduction to Grivot’s 2016 vintage.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean GRIVOT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel, Part I: Regional, Village, and Nuits-Saint-Georges premiers crus

(Originally published 24 November 2017.)

Harvesting began here on 27 September. As always, the grapes were entirely destemmed. Malolactic fermentations finished between spring and late August — not especially late for Grivot in my 30 years’ experience tasting in this cellar.

For the most part, the frost did not affect the Vosne-Romanée holdings, but the Suchots and Brulées are down about half from a normal vintage. Clos Vougeot is down about 30%, Nuits-Pruliers about 80%, and Nuits-Roncières 35%. No Chambolle-Musigny "Combe d'Orveaux" was produced. In a good year, the estate produces 240 barrels of wine; in 2016, it produced 187 barrels.

All wines had not been racked. If everything continues all right, they will not be racked until just before Christmas. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean GRIVOT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2016 Tasted from Bottle

These and other 2016s from Grivot were reviewed from barrel here and here.

Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean GRIVOT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel

Mathilde Grivot said that harvesting here began on 12 September. There was a green harvest three weeks prior to the harvest. The start date was later than many to allow for ripening of tannins; the sugars remained constant during this time, and the acidities good.

Grivot has been using increasingly less new oak. For 2017, the Bourgogne has 20% new oak, the village and premiers crus 25-30% new oak, and the grands crus 30-35%.

Malo-lactic fermentations began in February and finished in May, with the last ones in June and July. This is relatively early for Grivot, where the cellar is quite cold and over the years I’ve encountered wines still in malo more than 13-14 months after harvest. (Continue reading here.)

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