Vosne-Romanée “Clos des Rèas” 1er Cru (Monopole) 1991/Jean Gros (made by Michel Gros)
Opened at half past 3 pm, slightly muted and dull, slow oxed for 5 h, served at 8.30 pm (after return from cinema) right from the bottle
(with dark bread, ham, different cheese, tomatoes, paprika … :
brilliant ruby red with nice hints of orange, very fragrant nose, red fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, violets, a bit game and smoked meat, spices (Oregano), lovely mouthfeel, good sweetness with underlying acidity, very elegant and balanced, built up with really excellent finish and persistence, this has still improved in the bottle over the last years, now worth 91 points at least, drink for now and the next 4-6 years.
Attention: this bottle (my last) had a perfect fill of 1 cm below cork, resting for 21 years in my cool passive cellar …
This is aged mature Burgundy at its best - on really fine 1er Cru level … initially rated 89 points, 10 years ago max. 90p, now better still …
seriously I never had a bad bottle from Michel Gros (and very rarely a corked one) … always elegant and balanced, even in a vintage that was called difficult but rewarding like 91 - a lot of work, but a result to be proud of …
Ah, I see, you want us to do the math. 1993? Oh! Skimming skills need sharpening. 1991. A good vintage to backfill. Prices remain reasonable. I picked up a couple of Clair Beze for $125 per.
I think Gerhard, that you & I are Michel’s biggest fans on this BB. Haven’t tried the '91 Jean that Michel made, but always feel Clos des Reas punches well above it’s rather ordinary (relatively speaking) location, perhaps due to the high walls of the clos.
FYI, had the 99 recently and while a much younger wine, is drinking very very nicely with a little air (mine was a gentle double decant 2 hours before).
Agree, the Clos is certainly an excellent site despite it´s low location on the Cote … this could have easily been a top-Suchots (and is definitely superior to La Grande Rue 1991 which still was a 1er Cru then …) and the wine-making is impeccable (although some are arguing about some used technics, I know …)
Father Jean Gros was never interested in wine-making, rather in hunting and fishing (I only saw him once on the domaine with a gun over his shoulder) … so from (I think) 1975 onwards Michel was in fact the wine-maker, although all bottles were labelled JEAN GROS … he even made part of the production for sister Anne-Francoise Gros(-Parent) in Pommard … e.g. the Richebourg, which only got an A.-F.Gros-label later.
Rb Jean + A.-F. Gros are identical with the exception of the used barrels!
Brother Bernard is wine-maker at Gros Frere et Soeur …
In 1996 Michel took officially over the domaine, but had to give his sister parts of the vineyards, sadly all of Richebourg to keep the Clos des Reas a monopoly of his.
Thanks for the reminder Gerhard.
I always find this wine a bit oaky and not particularly interesting when young, but after 5-6 years the oak is almost gone and the wine just gets better and better. A wine with a very good track record, which, I agree with Chris too, always tastes better than its ‘almost’ village location.
Bill,
you are right, there usually is a typical “smoked meat” oak touch to this wine when young (which I like BTW), but after 23 years there wasn´t anything oaky detectable … the “hints of smoke” were rather more animally than oaky … one rarely could find a more elegant balanced Vosne than this … the Richebourg 91 is also a killer - so sad that this got lost after 1995 to A.-F. …
Thanks for the information Gerhard, I remember hearing that before! I see in my inventory that I have 2 bottles of the '93 “Jean Gros” Clos de Reas and a couple bottles of '96 Michel Gros Clos de Reas. Also a bottle of '95 A-F Gros Richebourg that I am looking forward to trying one of these days!
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