In my experience, across multiple producers, 2005 has been a vintage yet to really get going. But having drank a good amount of Jean Grivot’s offerings as of late, I was still extremely excited to open up two bottles of his 2005 Clos Vougeot at dinner at Fasano in New York City. After slow oxidising the bottle for an hour and a half before approaching it, the nose immediately confirmed what many of the Cellar Tracker reviews of the wine have said: the wine smelt young. Dominated by blackcurrant and jam, and undercut by scents of tobacco and baking spices, I was curious what the palate would hold. Upon first sip, it was a totally different story. Opening up in the glass to show off a lovely morello cherry note in the upfront, paired with a lighter redcurrant note and some sous bois, the palate shifted into a mid-palate of mushroom and licorice before a girthier finish that boasted tertiary power through cedar wood and tobacco notes. This is a bold wine that possess great structure - it’s only going to get better, but it is truly coming together right now.
Brave call. Would have bet big money that it would be like chewing a bag of nails at this stage.
These were the first two of the six I have and so part of the choice was out of curiosity, but was pleasantly surprised. This is going to age for awhile, but was a nice surprise to see it drinking reasonably well now.
I’ve got a bunch of 05 Grivot Suchots that I’m waiting on. It’s pretty hard to find that wine.
Alan, I believe you’re right. I don’t believe that bottling makes it to the US, at least not in the past ?
Nice to hear the '05 CV was drinking well.
I’ve always been a fan of his Echezeaux and plan to open a bottle of his '02 in a few weeks for the first time.
Based on this report I may try an '05 Echezeaux next fall and report back…
I still have halves of 96 Clos Vougeot that I am scared to open 
Be afraid, very afraid. I never quite got over trying a bottle of his 96 richebourg.
I have tried a couple a decade ago. At that stage they were like drinking liquid sandpaper.
I’ve only tasted recent vintages of Grivot EP; what is it that makes his wines so unapproachable? The young wines including the CV all showed fine when I’ve had them.
Take a bag of nails and add acid to taste.
Huge style swings here. the wines from the 1990’s into early 2000’s were massive, over-extracted messes. Big style shift since, but I’ve been too traumatized to try dipping my toe back in. (I did have a 2001 Suchots several years ago–interesting but still marred by the old style.)
I, too, had some weird experiences with them – an 01 bought on release that was oddly advanced in 2010 and two bottles of 07 Boudots that seemed New World-ish, even allowing for the vintage. Also other bottles that were tightly coiled and seemed to need lots of time.
Grivot’s ECHEZEAUX 2005 is at this stage much more agreeable than the RICHEBOURG 2005 which is a masive wine without much nuance. BIG, big and big…Where’s the finesse?
SINCERELY JOHAN