Wine Advisor
Jean Grivot, Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru comes from the old part of the vineyard, half of which was replanted in spring 2017 (these young vines may reenter this cru next year, or more likely the Bourgogne Rouge until they reach maturity). The crisp, fresh, well-defined bouquet is probably the best among Grivot’s Nuits Saint-Georges this year, reflecting the pedigree of this vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive mineralité and tension, quite "strict" in style but boasting so much coiled-up energy on the finish that you could easily drink it now. This is a superb offering that should age with grace and style over many years.
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.
