(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.
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.
2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
As usual, this was the first harvested of the Grivot properties — in part to help understand the vintage. The wine is silky with strawberry and other red fruits, good length, and great elegance. (86-90)
2016 Vosne-Romanée
There’s good concentration here as well as firmness to go with red fruits, but this wine was fairly closed on the day I tasted it. (86-90)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Charmois
The wine shows dark fruit along with good structure, energy, and depth. It is very characteristic of this vineyard south of Nuits as the slope goes up the canyon. The wine should benefit from more time in the barrel as it is still quite primary. Due to the small yield in 2016, the entire production will be sold to the U.S. (88-91)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Lavières
Here, we move to the Vosne slope of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. The spices in the nose indeed do suggest Vosne-Romanée. In the mouth, the wine is smooth, silky, and pure with red fruits and spices. (89-92)
2016 Vosne-Romanée Bossières
This wine is from old vines in the Bossières lieu-dit, northwest of the village of Vosne. Vosne spices in the nose precede dark fruit and spices in the mouth. The wine is pure and long and shows very good finesse. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Roncière
This wine is round and smooth with more body than the previous wines, dark fruit, and some iron overtones. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
The Pruliers is similar to the Roncière but with a little more body and structure. It has dark fruits and some iron. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots
The Boudots is minty both in nose and mouth. The texture shows Boudots creaminess with lightness on the palate. Half the vineyard has been ripped out for replanting, so this wine will be less available than usual for a while. The replanting will take place in 2018 and then it will take more years until the vines produce a crop for wine. (91-94)