Anne Gros, Richebourg Grand Cru 2012

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: William Kelley

Aromas of dark chocolate, wild berries, plums, spices and grilled squab preface the 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru, a full-bodied, introverted and muscular wine that's quite closed today, despite its ample core of ripe fruit, displaying racy acids and a generous endowment of fine, powdery tannins that make this vintage comparatively hard to read today.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru, taken directly from a new Francois Frere barrel, is tightly wound on the nose with black cherries, bay leaf and subtle forest floor scents. This is introspective, more inward looking than say, Etienne Grivot’s at this prenatal stage. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, succulent tannins enveloping layers of vibrant, shimmering black and red fruit loaded with minerals. The fruit is in synch with the wood and it has a very long sweet tail on the finish. This is a true aristocrat, but not necessarily the start of Anne Gros’s show. After modest success with her 2011s, it was great to come back to this domaine to find eternally youthful pixie-like Anne Gros back on form with a gaggle of gorgeous 2012s. Anne, the cousin of Bernard, Michel and Anne-Francoise, is one of the most conscientious winemakers I know, somebody who lives for her family, whether that is her three children or her vines. She exacts a meticulous picking, which in 2012 commenced on 21 September and lasted over three weeks until the 15 October up in her “Hautes Cotes” vines. I have written several times about this domaine, which I visited on my first Burgundy trip back in 1997. They have a slightly modern sheen like her cousin Bernard Gros, but here they are slightly more nuanced and terroir-driven. Quantities are small and sought after, and in 2012 her piece de resistance might not be the Richebourg, rather one of the best Clos de Vougeot wines of the vintage. But do not ignore either her excellent Hautes Cotes de Nuits white or red (or indeed her superb joint venture with partner Jean-Paul Tollot down in sunny Minnervois.) Importers: various importers (go to http://www.anne-gros.com/en/in-the-world.html) and several importers in both the US and UK.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full medium red. Very subdued but pure aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, licorice and wild herbs. Wonderfully rich and dense yet somehow weightless; distinctly wilder than the Clos Vougeot, showing an almost liqueur-like ripeness but also strong acidity to its hard candy flavors. I don't find the Oriental spice character this wine typically demonstrates in the early going, but there's no denying this wine's density and powerful fruit. It will need substantial cellaring to achieve its adult harmony.