A chance to drink some red burgundy coincided with a chance to watch our Washington Huskies win the Pac 12 championship (go Dogs!). All wines got 1 1/2-3 hours of air.
1993 George Noellat NSG ‘Boudots’–
Takes 2-3 hours to open up. Nicely mature dark berry sweet fruit, a little rose and spice. Could have been a mature MSD. or a Vosne. would not have placed it as NSG.
2001 Grivot Vosne-Romanee ‘les Suchots’–
Dark almost black color. Fairly ripe, dark fruit, but mid-weight. Over-extracted, somewhat bitter tannins. I haven’t had that many Grivot from this period, but I don’t particularly bond with the style. It seems like he’s trying too hard to get more out of the wine than is there.
2001 Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee ‘Beaumonts’–
Gracefull, elegant, mid-weight spicy red fruit. great length. A pleasure.
2001 Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin–
Structured deep red fruit. Concentrated but not heavy. Sappy cherry with a slightly stemy spiciness. Still young but enjoyable now.
2005 Drouhin Beaune ‘Clos des Mouches’ Rouge–
Very dark red. Rich, fresh, bright concentrated fruit. Fair amount of structure, more so that the 2001’s, but not at all closed. this is a young wine with a great future. Don’t drink it all now.
I was hoping someone would comment on the Grivot. Not sure if I’ve just had a couple of outlier examples, or if that is the true style and I’m just not drawn to it.
John, Grivots were certainly as you describe from te mid 90s although I believe they became more user friendly from 2002 vintage. I still have half bottles of 95 and 96 Clos de Vougeot that I am not game to touch.
05 Grivot Suchots was given 96 and a great write up by the normally stingy Tanzer. Grivot Suchots is rarely imported. He used to be an Accad disciple, no longer. Haven’t tasted much from Grivot, Richebourg supposedly quite good.
Nice lineup and notes, John.
Glad to see a note on 'the 05 Drouhin Beaune Mouches.
i have some and keep successfully talking myself out of opening one.
Part of my hesitation about these wines is comments like this. the few bottles that I’ve had, from the 90’s and this wine, have been just like this wine. All four of us, all pretty experienced but also pretty opinionated burg drinkers, had pretty much the same impression of this bottle. Perhaps someone will prove us wrong one of these days.
The '99 Grivots, are some of the most black-purple, tannic(fresh oak) burgs, I have ever tried to drink.
Especially VR Beaux Monts, was a “black shoe-shine” some years ago.
I wonder when/how His '99-GCs, like Echezeaux, CdV and Richebourg will come around.
One can only hope for some underlying fruit coming out, when the acid and tannins have cooled down.
-I’m a little worried now, but time (decades) will tell.
I haven’t bought any Grivots since the 1999 vintage. Simply scared away.
My experience has been similar to Soren’s, but Maureen seems to have a good, experienced palate, so am I missing something? I have a couple of 2000 NSG Boudots, but I’m not sure that will answer the question. Perhaps as suggested, the style changed after 2001. Likely, I will focus my energies elsewhere, though, as life is too short to chase wines who’s style doesn’t match.
The characteristics of 2000 should fit Grivot’s former style. I had a superb Reignots 2000 with brilliant nose and smooth and delicious palate.
While I bought plenty (several hundred) Grivot’s post 2005, I have not had the opportunity to drink them mature … maybe it is a bit early…
They can taste good though…
… maybe it is a bit early…