Visit to Domaine Anne Gros – tasting the 2019s

Sometimes we journalists promote stories and hypotheses regarding wines and producers – about slipping quality or changes in style, new stars and other “sensations” – just to be remotely interesting.

This is of course a part of the job. However, sometimes one is forced to simply lean back and enjoy the quality in a hedonistic glass of pinot without over-analysing or over-interpreting the juice in the stem. Yet it does lead one to think: Why do I find joy in this wine?

The fact is that some wines provide great hedonistic pleasure without being the most detailed and precise ones from the vineyard. These wines, in theory at least, could be more detailed or precise, but this could in the end have an adverse effect on their hedonistic qualities.

Balance vs detail?”

I don’t think that detail and wide-ranging impressions are necessarily the way to hedonistic glory; balance, proportion, and the weight and feel of each element are equally important. Effortless, hedonistic simplicity is sometimes very joyful and gratifying.

The Anne Gros wines deliver this joyful balance, with hedonistic qualities, plain and simple. And they do so year after year. They are not the most precise wines in the world, but they have a hedonistic grace and a relaxed, holistic style that makes them delicious each and every time.

Make no mistake: The Anne Gros wines deliver the goods in abundance.

The beauties from the south…

Domaine Anne Gros also produces wines from the Minervois in the south of France under the name Jean-Paul Tollot and Anne Gros. These are wines from different grape varieties, and with a different expression than the Burgundies described below.

These warmer-clime wines are, however, interesting – suprisinngly interesting. As Burgundian wines become hotter with global warming, the overall expression between the two is converging, and hence increasing (at least my) acceptance of the Minervois wines.

I’ll write a separate article about the Minervois production, as I think it deserves an individual look.

Notes from the tasting on March 17

Domaine Anne Gros Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2019

The Hautes Cotes de Nuits, the first wine in the line-up, is showing fine fruit -raspberries and hints of black cherries – on the nose. It’s quite cool for the vintage, with a line of acidity to back up the freshness. On the palate, delicate retrolfaction, good structure, and first and foremost, balance.

(Drink from 2021) – Good – tasted 17/03/2021

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Domaine Anne Gros Bourgogne Rouge 2019

The Bourgogne Rouge this year is a step up in complexity from the Hautes Cotes de Nuits. It comes from 40-year-old vines.

Our Red Burgundy is a blend of three parcels (0.87 ha total): Les Champs d’Argent, Les Glapigny and Les Pasquiers, with an average age of 40 years. These parcels are all situated on the flat, separated from the hillside by the RD 974 between Nuits-St.-Georges and Flagey-Echezeaux.”

The bouquet offers fine red pinot fruit, forest raspberries and cherries, with a perfumed hint of peony. On the palate, more lush and rewarding than the Hautes Cotes. Delicate and joyful. Cheers!

(Drink from 2021) – Good+ (87p) – tasted 17/03/2021

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Domaine Anne Gros Chambolle-Musigny 2019

The Chambolle-Musigny village comes from a plot in La Combe d’Orveau, the valley behind the Vougeot vineyard. The bouquet is quite expressive, with lovely mineral yet sweet fruit notes – redcurrant, pomegranate, strawberries – that are sensual and graceful. On the palate, the elegant, delicate fruit shows quite great precision for the terroir and the vintage. This has a lovely hedonistic grace, and will drink very well.

(Drink from 2030) – Very Good (89-90p) – tasted 17/03/2021

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Domaine Anne Gros Vosne-Romanee 2019

The Vosne-Romanee village originates from Les Barreaux, the climat located above Cros Parantoux and Richebourg. This is a gorgeous village terroir on the cool side of Vosne. Anne Gros has some really old vines in this plot (90 years), and the result is a very deep, velvety wine, one that is always a highlight of the portfolio. It has fine sweet-spicy pinot aromas – strawberries and raspberries perfumed with violets and peonies, and even some pink roses. The expressive, perfumed nose really invites you to explore this delightful village. Very fine pinot aromas and delightful minerality from this excellent terroir.

(Drink from 2032) – Very Good+ (90-91p) – tasted 17/03/2021 –

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