Aux Lavieres

This is from the northern part of Nuits but, in fact, sits directly above the southern Vosne zone which dog-legs into Nuits. It is pretty, fresh and fragrant, almost crunchy like Mugnier’s Maréchale – just the more typical Nuits tannins peeking through on the finish. Drink 2020-2027.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

Jean Grivot, whose name continues to appear on the labels, took over from his father Gaston in 1955 and handed the estate on to his son Étienne in the early 1980s. Étienne, married to Marielle Bize from Savigny, has been through a number of incarnations as winemaker here. When he took over, his father’s style was for gentle, graceful wines which perhaps were a little weak in the lesser vintages. Étienne wanted to produce something more concentrated and started working with the controversial oenologist Guy Accad from 1987 to 1992. Since then Étienne has found his own voice and made a range of increasingly fine wines. The drive to reduce yields and fine-tune his work in the vineyards and cellar since the mid-2000s continues to enhance quality. The next generation, Mathilde and Hubert, are now working with their parents. The generational pendulum shifts a bit further here, with Mathilde and Hubert further to the fore this year, and Étienne says he was around more as an advisor. Mathilde reported that some of the early bunches were ready by the end of August, with small berries and thick skins. They waited and got the ideal amount of rain in September which allowed their harvest to homogenise, and they began on 27th September. Mathilde also gave a blow- by-blow analysis of every vineyard’s frost damage. There is no Chambolle d’Orveau this year.

A Vosne in Nuits’s clothing. There is a sense of Nuits’s earthier style, but this is moderated by a silky undertone which hints more at Vosne’s proximity. There is a lovely creamy mid-palate and a fine bounce and lift on the finish. Drink 2020-2024.

Jean Grivot, whose name continues to appear on the labels, took over from his father Gaston in 1955 and handed the estate on to his son Étienne in the early 1980s. Étienne, married to Marielle Bize from Savigny, has been through a number of incarnations as winemaker here. When he took over, his father’s style was for gentle, graceful wines which perhaps were a little weak in the lesser vintages. Since then Étienne has found his own voice and made a range of increasingly fine wines. The drive to reduce yields and fine-tune his work in the vineyards and cellar since the mid-2000s continues to enhance quality. The succession to the next generation is now well underway, with Mathilde and Hubert increasingly influential, under their father’s experienced and wise guidance. 

Here the decision was to wait for a bit of rain, to get the skins and berries fully ripe. The rain did the trick and the resulting wines are among the best of the Côte this year. Adjectives tumbled from Étienne during the tasting: seductive and precise, glamorous, graphite and saline, luminous and suave. We both agreed we rather liked “resonant”. Volumes are up 50 percent but Étienne warned us that the run of short vintages has depleted their reserves, and  as such allocations this year will not  move up in line.