Wine Advisor
Jean Grivot, Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Suchots 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots was actually quite difficult to read after the barnstorming performance of the Beaux Monts. This is much more laid back with ample red fruit tinged with loam and mint, but I would have liked to see more energy here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that disguises quite a firm backbone underneath. It seems to attenuate in the final one-third, whereas the Beaux Monts fans out. Fine, but Etienne himself commented that he has made better Suchots in the past. Just two barrels instead of the usual four.
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.
1995(2)2002(1)2003(1)2006(1)2008(2)2009(1)2010(1)2011(6)2012(1)2013(5)2014(5)2015(3)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L
