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Domaine Jean Grivot

One of the most arresting sights during my time in Burgundy was in Vosne-Romanée. Setting off for a Saturday job around the vineyards, I spotted Etienne Grivot with his family, holding on to a bicycle that looks as if it costs more than my car, dressed head to toe in cycling gear. He was about to take his new toy for a spin and invited me to have a go. I stuck to my jogging routine and told him that I would see him in a couple of days for our scheduled visit. Good to know that in lockdown year, winemakers are keeping themselves trim. In recent years Grivot’s daughter, Mathilde, has taken an increasingly prominent role in the running of the domaine as her father swaps pruning shears for cycling gloves. Mine was actually the first tasting at Grivot since lockdown and it was the first time that either had tasted through their 2019s since malo. But first we began by discussing the growing season.

“The winter was quite warm with good water reserves in the soil,” Mathilde Grivot explained. “The end of winter was sunny and warm and that caused early bud break. The 2019 was an early vintage - 10 days earlier than normal. April was stressful due to cold temperatures on 5 and 14 April and also 7 May. On 14 April it was -3.4° in Combe d’Orveau. The soils were very dry and vegetation was small, so these cold snaps clearly slowed down the [growth] cycle so that by the beginning of May it was the latest ever. May to mid-June was cool with rain when we needed it, then we saw full flowering on 14 June. At the end of the month the weather changed and there were hot temperatures and dryness. We had some rain at the end of July and then August was cooler with some rain in the middle of the month - at the perfect time. At véraison there were significant differences in yields so come September, we decided to wait for the perfect skin maturity and started the harvest on 18 September. The yields ended being about one-third less than normal. The maximum we have ever produced is 315 barrels of Pinot Noir and in 2019 we got 197 barrels.” Etienne Grivot explained. “But I’ve never observed such perfect maturity with such perfect acidity. We did between three and five pigeages. Alcoholic degrees are around 13.0°, between 12.8° to 13.8°, natural acids very stable with many cuvées between 3.45 and 3.52pH. We work more and more with full berries due to our very effective Pellenc de-stemmer.” Mathilde Grivot continued: “I think the wines will be accessible with a great capacity to age. We use less and less new barrels but more in Bourgogne and Village Crus, so now it is around one-third across the range [my samples respected this proportion.] We will bottle the wines next March - 15 months in barrel then racked into tank before Christmas to enhance integration. There is no fining and only a very light filtration if we think the wine needs it.” I asked Etienne Grivot his views on recent vintages and he opined: “The 2018 vintage is more classic whereas 2019 is easier to understand. Maybe in 15 years it will be the famous vintage for connoisseurs. For sure, I have never obtained this kind of balance.”

Domaine Grivot has been on a roll in recent vintages and the 2019 continues their scintillating run of form that has seen them become one of the most coveted producers in the most coveted appellation. Stylistically, Grivot hits that sweet spot between quite fruit-driven, structured and dense expressions of Pinot Noir, but always imbued with precision and translating their respective terroirs. In 2019, amongst the enviable range of Vosne Premier Crus, the two that stood out was a sophisticated Les Beau Monts and a voluptuous Les Suchots, both of which I preferred to the Aux Brûlées. Don’t ignore the Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges either. Grivot has always been strong in Nuits Saint-Georges and their Les Pruliers would give Chevillon’s a run for its money. The 2019 Richebourg is a candidate for one of the most profound contributions to the vintage, a startling wine that may become a future legend, but in terms of value, their 100% Gamay Côteaux Bourguignon is absolutely delicious and no doubt, “a bit cheaper”.

From La Lumière Noire: 2019 Burgundy - Côte de Nuits (Dec 2020) by Neal Martin

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2019 Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d’Orveau

Color: Red

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Domaine Jean Grivot

2019 Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d’Orveau

2019 Côteaux Bourguignons

2019 Rouge Bourgogne

2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

2019 Echézeaux Grand Cru

2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru

2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Roncière 1er Cru

2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Lavières

2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru

2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Charmois

2019 Richebourg Grand Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Aux Brûlées 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru

2019 Vosne-Romanée Bossières

2019 Vosne-Romanée Village

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