Les Gaudichots – Question ????

WINE TALK
1

I just received three bottles of Vosne-Romanée „Les Gaudichots“ 1er cru 2009 – Michel Saban (Caves du Palais – Nuits-St-Georges).

The bottles are numbered 2016/2017/2018 – and the label reads:
Mis en bouteille au Domaine
pour Michel Saban – Caves du Palais –
Cuvée Privée Limitée - Vieilles Vignes

As I understand it there are some relationships between Saban and Machard de Gramont – so I suppose the wine comes somehow from the holdings of the latter in „Gaudichots“ – most probably bottled at MdGramont … and sold in bottles. I always though they might have sold a single barrel …

Les Gaudichots had originally 5.66 ha.
In 1936 4.63 ha were added to „La Tâche“ and classified Grand Cru.
From the remaining 1.03 ha two parcels with (together) 0.23 ha were incorporated into „La Grande Rue“ (which increased from 1.42 to 1.65 ha) and became also Grand Cru in 1992.
According to the great book „The Pearl of the Côte“ by Burghound Allen Meadows „Les Gaudichots“ now has only 0.80 ha with (since 2007/08) four proprietors:
Regis FOREY (0.30 ha),
Domaine DUJAC (0.24 ha – used for his „Malconsorts“ like Moillard did it before, never declared as Gaudichots),
Machard de GRAMONT (0.20 ha),
DRC (0.08 ha – never bottled by the domaine itself, either sold to negociants or used themselves for the „Cuvee Duvault-Blochet 1er Cru").
Ok – that´s 0.82 ha … (?)

If Saban/MdGramont really made more than 2000 bottles that means he had at least seven barrels with 228 litre (=1596 litre). That means – at high yields of 40 hl/ha – a yielding surface of at least 0.40 ha – double the total parcel of MdGramont.

In addition a tiny parcel of 0.052 ha at the bottom of Gaudichots is classified „Village“ – also farmed by MdG.
Even if he has used this parcel (illegally, which I don´t think) – and moreover he had purchased the total Gaudichots wine from DRC (which I also don´t think) this would not be enough to produce 2000+ bottles.

BTW: there is definitely also a Gaudichots by MdGramont in 2009.

Possibilities:

  1. the bottle numbers are totally wrong
  2. the bottle numbers cover all the bottled Gaudichots (also with MdGramont labels), but even then it doesn´t work out …
  3. the bottle numbers mean the total bottles of Michel Saban (also incl. other Crus) … seems possible …
  4. Jesus went to the cellar of MdGramont …

Any ideas?

2

His numbering scheme doesn’t start at 0000? Maybe the 2 signifies something, and you have bottles 16, 17 and 18?

3

Well, that´s an idea … (but who knows … possible, not very probable… )

Thanks.