Wine Advisor
Jean Grivot, Richebourg Grand Cru 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Pierre Rovani
Flowers, spices, and cherries make up the nose of the 2001 Richebourg. Big and bold on the entry, this structured, medium-bodied wine reveals loads of depth and concentration to its red berry-filled core before tightening on the finish. While it has edgy, almost rustic tannin, this offering’s profound, noble character and regal fruit are outstanding. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2012. Etienne Grivot, the honorable, thoughtful man who runs this estate, characterized 2001 as having “decent ripeness” and being “comparable to 1978, a heterogeneous year of low maturity. Qualitatively, I’d rank it as better or much better than 1998.” Like his colleagues, Grivot mentioned the fact that the red 2001s have long malo-lactic fermentations, with many lasting through September, 2002. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 572-7725
About the Producer
Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Étienne Grivot and his wife Marielle (Patrick Bize's sister) took over from Étienne’s father Jean Grivot in 1987. The Grivot family believes in generational change and in 2017, Étienne and Marielle’s daughter, Mathilde, took over for her parents. Mathilde brings a fresh approach while maintaining the longtime traditions of the Grivot family. The recently renovated winery and cellar is in Vosne-Romanée where most of the Grivot vineyards are located. The domaine has been assembled over several generations to its current size of 15.5 hectares and includes holdings in three grand crus: Clos de Vougeot, Echézeaux, and Richebourg. Mathilde believes in getting quality first thanks to meticulous vineyard work throughout the year. The result of this hard work is healthy, ripe (both phenolic and sugar levels) and depth of concentration and flavor of the fruit. Today, the vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification,” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir. The grapes are entirely destemmed and maceration à froid usually lasts just a day or two. The fermentation starts naturally, with a little punching down before this fermentation begins. There is no more pigeage after fermentation begins, “I don’t like to mix the physical (punching down) with the spiritual (fermentation),” said Étienne. After fermentation, the wines are pumped over once a day before aging in barrel for 15 months. Depending on the vintage, the proportion of new oak is around 25% for the villages appellations, 30-40% for the premier crus and 40-45% percent for the grands crus.
