I admit to having a fetish for this particular bottling of Roilette. First released in 2009, in very small quantities, it has become a yearly purchase for me. A special cuvee using the same grapes/vines for the Cuvee Tardive, but matured a bit in old burgundy barrels rather than foudres. The 2010 and 2011 vintages demonstrated to me that this cuvee is not a novelty, but instead, a special bottling worth pursuing. They are both better than the 2009, though I like the 2009 Cuvee Tardive more than the Griffe itself…
This was wine fairly expressive on release then shut down hard. The last bottle that I had about 18 months ago was quite shrill. Tonight, it’s starting to open up a little. Opened for about an hour before enjoying with grilled salmon on cedar planks. Nice pairing. The wine has a meaty, floral, minty nose, black fruits and some smoke. Medium weight on the palate, meaty, herbal, sappy dark fruits, still grippy. I’d say revisit in 3+ years, still has some time to round out. I like the weight that the burgundy barrels add to this wine.
A bottle of the 2011 Griffe last night was delightful, with a bit of fresh pine bough on the nose at first, though I didn’t find it off-putting. Overall, it’s still young but much more approachable than on release, dark and brooding with a puzzle-like complexity that intrigues and relaxes rather than frustrates.
So while I stated above hold another 3 years, John Morris’ recent 2009 Bojo tasting, where he seemed to suggest start drinking, figured that I’d check back in since I’m sitting on 4 from an original 6-pack.
Much more open, ripe fruit and still underscored by early racey acidity. Nose could use better expression, but the palate is a broad range of red and dark fruits, some tangy and some squishy ripe. I think I’m even detecting some juicy boysenberry. Spice, cloves, earth, with a grainy texture finish and still some firm tannins. I do not think this wine needs to be consumed, this bottle suggests it can easily run many more years and perhaps can even open up more.
This wine comes from the same vineyard section as the Cuvee Tardive, it just sees modest oak treatment. The old burgundy barrels appear to have imparted some structure and a little spice kick. It’s a nicely done complement to the wine, not distracting at all.
