Decided to take test drive of the 2012 vintage with abake-off between two siblings in the Gros clan. I tried two different Bourgogne Hautes de Cotes Nuits last night. They look identical – deep, clear ruby – but their flavor profiles differ significantly:
Gros Frere Expressive nose, with notes of char and saline. Good concentration and amply fruited – sour dark cherry. Crunchy fruit and slightly chewy mouthfeel that reminds me of a well-made cru Beaujolais a bit. Bit of a hole in middle but nice finish with cleansing acidity. Open for business tonight and very good at this level.
A.-F. Gros Bit more muted nose, with hints of rose. Also generously fruited, with a plummy note mixed in with dark berries. Rounder mouthfeel and just a touch more elegance. Not as savory and earthy as the Frere, but just a bit more refined. Still holding something in reserve.
The Gros Frere offers more immediate pleasure, but the A.-F. Gros has more upside in my opinion. The A.-F. 2005 Bourgogne has been singing the past few months (a great cellar defender!), so I’d be curious to see how this unfurls in 5-plus years.
With the short crops these past few years and worldwide demand for Burgundy, prices continue to rise even for these basic bottlings (roughly $35). I kind of feel like I’m trapped between a rock and a hard place at this price point for basic Bourgogne. I can’t help but think that I can get more pinot value and pleasure elsewhere, and save my money for fewer but higher-up-the-food chain Burgs. These feel more like one-offs as outliers/indicators rather than something I would buy in multiples.