Wine Advisor
Gros Frere et Soeur, Richebourg Grand Cru 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Richebourg is a fabulous, statuesque wine. The aromas and flavors display fabulous delineation, clarity and intensity, while the tannins are impressively firm yet refined. This is a delicious, elegant Richebourg that should drink well relatively early, but that also appears to have the potential to age well. The vines were planted in 1985 and 1989. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2032. I tasted these wines with Bernard Gros in his underground tasting room, which is part batcave and part piano bar. Towards the end of a long day, a change of pace from the frigid cellars of Burgundy was quite welcome. Bernard Gros harvested on the early side in 2009, which he mostly attributes to the clones he planted beginning in the mid 1980s. The fruit was completely destemmed and yields were around 40 hectoliters per hectare. Cuvaison lasted 10-12 days. After debourbage the wines were racked into new oak barrels. Gros left the wines on their fine lees for 12 months, and did some batonnnage pre-malo. The house style seeks ripeness and textural richness, which every wine I tasted reflected. In his continued search for depth, Gros will sometimes concentrate the wines about 5% or so. All of the 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Gros also showed me all of his grand crus going back to 2006. Notes for those wines will be posted on www.erobertparker.com. Importer: Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Richebourg blossoms in every direction with seemingly endless layers of flavor. An exotic melange of plums, red cherries, flowers and mint starts to take shape as the wine opens up in the glass. There is a pure radiance to the 2009 that is impossible to miss. At the same time, the firm Richebourg tannins keep everything in check. Higher-toned notes develop in the glass, balancing some of the wine’s more virile tendencies. The 2009 remains a bit of a brute and definitely needs further bottle age. This is going to be a fascinating wine to follow. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034. Importer: Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639
About the Producer
Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur is located in the Cotes de Nuits wine region of Burgundy, France. It is the most popular of the four Gros family estates in the local village of Vosne-Romanee. Wine lovers have nicknamed it the 'Great Golden Chalice' because of the magnificent golden chalice emblazoned on its label. The Gros family is a well-known local winemaking family, and the current owner is Bernard. Bernard's commitment to improving the quality of his wines, combining traditional winemaking methods with new equipment, has improved many of the inherent deficiencies of Pinot Noir, resulting in a more refined Burgundian wine. His winemaking techniques are first class and he is the only winery in Burgundy to use a concentrator to thicken the wine, in addition to organic fertilisation. The winery is 100% de-stemmed and insists on using natural yeasts from the finest top quality vineyards for fermentation, with no deliberate cold maceration. All red wines are matured in 100% new oak barrels. The style of Château Gros is known for its full-bodied, rich, round and fat wines, which are unforgettable and have many die-hard supporters. Situated in the premier vineyard of the village of Vaughan-Romanée, Château Gros is often the centre of attention at wine tastings and auctions. The winery's current releases include Richebourg Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot Musigni Grand Cru, Echezeaux Grand Cru and Vosne-Romanee, among others, which are very popular with consumers.
