JEAN GRIVOT Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

WA: 93

The 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is showing well from bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, rose petals, cassis and spices, subtly framed by new wood. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and nicely concentrated, its chassis of velvety tannin largely cloaked in juicy fruit, concluding with a nicely delineated finish. It's comparatively elegant in style. The 2016 is derived almost exclusively from Grivot's holdings at the bottom of the vineyard as his higher-lying plots were ravished by frost.

VM: (90-93)

Bright, dark red-ruby. Pure but muted aromas of medicinal black cherry and licorice. In a distinctly virile style and hard to taste today following the sensational range of Vosne premier crus, as this youthfully imploded wine shows more pronounced herb, menthol and earth elements and little early sweetness. A forceful if less sophisticated wine but its tannins are still rather smooth (Grivot described it as "un grand garçon maladroit"). This will never make a showy tasting wine but it should work well with serious cold-weather fare. Made almost entirely from Grivot's lowest Clos Vougeot wines near the Route Nationale, as his vines a bit higher up were more affected by the frost.

VM: (93-95)

The 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru showed just a little reduction on the nose, but that blows away with modest swirling to reveal blackberries, raspberry coulis, touches of melted tar and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip. It displays a fine crescendo in the mouth, until it reaches the effervescent finish. A tang of blood orange and brown spice lingers on the aftertaste.