Tasting of Domaine Anne Gros 2011 from cask

I was very impressed by the 2010 vintage, when I tasted them at Grand Jours de Bourgogne. I was therefore keen to visit the domaine to taste the 2011 vintage from cask.

Fortunately Domaine Anne Gros had time to recieve us for a short visit on my trip to Burgundy in May 2012.

First visit to Anne Gros

I have tasted quite a lot of Anne Gros wines during the years, including the very fine 2010 wines presented at Grand Joures de Borugogne. I have however never visited the domaine, which is a mistake seen retrospectively.

At our visit we tasted the 2011 vines from cask. They were all quite open and ready to taste – as the malolactic fermentation was completed in all wines. Only the Echezeaux was a little closed on the day.

The samples were taken from casks already used once, thus with less impression of the oak. The final blend is therefore likely be darker and more dense with more oak impression, than the wines tasted from the 1 year old casks. Anne Gros use 30% new oak on the AOC wines, 45% on the village wines and around 75% on the Grand Cru’s for the 2011 vintage.

Notes from tasting May 4th 2012 – Red

Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2011

The Haut Cote de Nuits is the starting wine in the Anne Gros lineup. In the nose fine red fruits, raspberries and hints of black cherries. On the palate fine delicate pinot aromas, good structure and balance. Lacks a little of the refinement found in the Bourgogne rouge.

Above Average (83 – 84p) CASK

Bourgogne Rouge 2011

The Bourgogne Rouge is a step up in complexity from the Hautes Cotes de Nuits. In the nose fine red pinot fruit, raspberries, cherries with a sweet note of strawberries. On the palate slightly more lush and rewarding. Quite delicate and nuanced in the fruit expression.

Good (84 – 86p) CASK

Chambolle Musigny 2011

The Chambolle Musigny village comes from a plot located in La Combe d’Orveau, above the Musigny vineyard. In the bouquet very expressive, with lovely sweet fruit notes, red currant, pommegranate, strawberries – an allmost floral elegance. On the palate very elegant fruit aromas, delicate but yet quite intense. Good minerality and frehsness – a lovely village wine.

Fine (87 – 89p) CASK

Vosne Romanee 2011

The Vosne Romanee village originates from the Les Barreaux climate located above Cros Parantoux and Richebourg. This is a very nice village terroir, and Anne Gros has some really old vines in this plot (80 – 85 years). The bouquet is really showing it’s origin, with fine sweet spicy pinot aromas – strawberries and raspberries perfumed with voilets and peony rose. The nose is quite expressive and perfumed. On the palate slightly tight with good balance and length, fine pinot aromas and minerality from the excellent village terroir. Lovely village.

Very Good (88 – 90p) CASK

Echezeaux 2011

This Echezeaux comes from the climate Les Loächausses in the center of the Echezeaux vineyard. Anne started making this wine in 2007, when she took over the vineyard from Gros Frere et Soeur. In the nose slightly closed with a slight reduction. Still it’s showing a lot of nuances – strawberries, loads of cherries with hints of gooseberries, violets and peony rose. On the palate quite a big step up in concentration, good acidity and balance, with a discrete minerality. A fine to very fine wine.

Fine+ (91 – 93p) CASK

Clos de Vougeot 2011

The Clos de Vougeot comes from the climate Le Grand Maupertui located just below Grands Echezeaux. In the nose very expressive with delicate red and darker pinot fuit – cherries, pommegranate, raspberries … spiced up with some peony rose, and a sweet touch of strawberries. On the palate good concentration and length, well balanced with a fine minerality and quite fresh acidity.

Very Fine (92 – 94p) CASK

Richebourg 2011

Top of the line is Grand Cru Richebourg. In the bouquet deep complex layers of pinot fruit, with expressions of strawberries, pommegranate, raspberries and cherries wonderfully spiced with violets and peony rose – the essence of Vosne. On the palate quite velvet jelly fruit, with sweet red fruit aromas combined with darker fruit and the quite muscular mineralitity of the Richebourg terroir. Very transparant expression of the terroir, delicate but still powerful – an outstanding wine in the making.

Outstanding (94 – 96p) CASK

Notes from tasting May 4th 2012 – White

Hautes Cotes de Nuits – Blanc 2011

The Hautes Cotes de Nuits Blanc is a quite charming and unprecientous white. In the nose apple, citrus, pear and peach. On the palate fine fresh acidity and minerality, quite elegant.

Above Average (83 – 85p) CASK

Bourgogne Blanc 2011

The Bourgogne Blanc is richer and rounder than the Hautes Cotes de Nuits – and slightly more refined. In the nose apple, grapefruit, melon and peach fruit aromas. On the palate quite rich round, but with a quite good freshness.

Above Average (83 – 85p) CASK

2011 compared to the 2010 vintage

Anne Gros has produced fine wines in both 2010 and 2011. In my view both vintages really suits the domaine style, as the quite transparant style of the vintages is a perfect match for the quite rich and velvet style of the domaine.

The overall impression of the 2011 is along the same lines we found on the other domaines. Very nice nuanced and refined pinot flavors, quite transparant expression of the terrroir – a terroir driven and quite classical vintage – judged based on the current stage of development in cask.

While the 2011 Anne Gros wines are charming and very fine, the 2010 vintage is in my view clearly the better vintage – with the unique transparancy and delicate balance. But the 2011 will provide good drinking while we are waiting for the 2010 vintage. The key is however to keep the freshness and the fine nuances in the fruit until they are bottled.

Last but not least, the wines have been tasted on a quite early stage, and the development in cask and bottling can change quite a lot. I’m however confindent that these wines are fine, and will provide a lot of pleasure for the fortunate Burgundy lovers.

Tasting Notes for this producer

• Visit to Domaine Anne Gros – Tasting the 2022s March 28, 2024
• Visit to Domaine Anne Gros – tasting the 2019s May 3, 2021
• Domaine Anne Gros, Echezeaux 2011 January 27, 2018
• Domaine Anne Gros, Clos Vougeot 2004 December 27, 2017
• Domaine Anne Gros, Richebourg 1995 October 2, 2014
• Anne Gros, Richebourg 2012 May 13, 2014
• Anne Gros, Clos de Vougeot 2011 January 4, 2014
• Anne Gros, Richebourg 2007 September 25, 2013
• Anne Gros, Richebourg 2000 March 26, 2013
• Anne Gros, Chambolle Musigny La Combe d’Orveau 2006 September 19, 2012
• Anne Gros, Clos de Vougeot 2011 July 1, 2012
• Anne Gros, Richebourg 2011 June 29, 2012
• Anne Gros, Echezeaux 2011 June 27, 2012
• Anne Gros, Vosne Romanee 2011 June 22, 2012
• Anne Gros, Chambolle Musigny 2011 June 21, 2012
• Anne Gros, Bourgogne Rouge 2011 June 20, 2012
• Anne Gros, Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2011 June 19, 2012
• Anne Gros, Hautes Cotes de Nuits Blanc 2011 June 19, 2012
• Anne Gros, Bourgogne Blanc 2011 June 17, 2012
• Tasting of Domaine Anne Gros 2011 from cask May 8, 2012
• Anne Gros Chambolle Musigny La Combe D’Orveau 2009 August 2, 2011

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