Jean Grivot, Richebourg Grand Cru 2008

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Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2008 Richebourg is big, powerful and, not surprisingly, rather shut down. Today the tannins are quite imposing, but there is enough richness in the fruit to get a sense of where this wine is headed over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033. This is a gorgeous set of wines from Etienne and Marielle Grivot that captures the essence of several of Vosne’s most illustrious vineyards. Grivot encourages slow malos and leaves the wines on the lees for approximately 15 months after the vinification. New oak ranges from 15-20% for the villages, 30-50% for the 1ers and 40-70% for the grands crus. Based on the wines I tasted 2009 looks like a much more consistent vintage than 2008. The finest 2008s are also well worth considering, but there are more highs and lows, especially in the entry part of the range. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600

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Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. Etienne Grivot filled five and a half piece this year. Although the nose is showing some reduction, that cannot disguise the quality of this Richebourg. The nose is struck through with electrifying minerality, touches of blueberry, plum and Morello, then a hint of orange sorbet and mango. The palate is full-bodied, quite regal with great depth and real panache. Seamless in texture, caressing the mouth from start to finish with a lemony citric kick on the finish. Real Grand Cru wine here. Outstanding. Drink 2010-2028. Tasted November 2009.

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Reviewed by: David Schildknecht

Leading with bright red fruits – raspberry, currant, cherry – along with peat and game, Grivot’s 2008 Richebourg exhibits a severe intensity of berry compote, leather, and roasted game, along with strong – albeit fine-grained – tannin and a sense of crushed stone suffusion. This grips implacably and impressively, but without the detail or refinement I suspect it exhibited before bottling; and Grivot testifies to the tannins having hardened. It needs to be revisited over the coming year for a better notion of its potential. On the other hand, that potential is great enough – surely at least 15 years – and the wine embryonic enough, that it probably needs 6-8 years before really showing what it’s got. “We never want rapid malos,” notes Etienne Grivot, “but those in 2008 were not especially late or long by our standards – no longer than in 2002 or 2005. And I didn’t sulfur the wines when they were completed, because the volatile acids were really low and the pHs were very good” (i.e. low). Instead, most of Grivot’s 2008s were only sulfured after the 2009 harvest. Grivot gave them at least 3 weeks in tank before bottling, which took place between January and early April. Based on my intuitions and Grivot’s testimony, several of his 2008s were suffering significantly from post-bottling depression when I tasted them in late April, so readers should bear this is mind and recognize that my scores, in isolation, might prove misleadingly low. Grivot characterizes the 2008s as “dynamic but introverted” and “less accessible” than either the 2006s or 2007s, but that contrast appears to have been exacerbated by circumstances on this occasion. (In view of the delightful showing of two Grivot 2007s in April, I regret that I simply wasn’t able to taste more wines from that collection in the time available to me.) Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400