Visit to Domaine Grivot – tasting the 2018s

Planning tastings in Burgundy is sometimes difficult, as unexpected events can delay the program and – if you’re not careful – cause problems for the rest of the day.

The Grivot visit last year came after a lovely tasting at Domaine Dujac, an event that took a bit more time than planned (by me at least).

Mathilde Grivot – November 2019

With great alacrity we did, however, arrive at Rue Croix Rameau just in time to park the car at our lodgings and rush to Domaine Grivot, pushing the doorbell just seconds before the arranged time. Saved by the bell!

We were received by Mathilde Grivot as usual, and the 2018s were ready in the cellar, mostly tasting from samples just taken from the barrels (see the photo below of the Grivot sampling practice, a method I find works very well for their wines).

Impressions from tasting the Domaine Grivot 2018s

To sum up, my impressions of the Grivot 2018s are similar to all other wines from this vintage: difficult, or at least somewhat difficult, as the variation in quality and style is quite wide within the portfolio at many estates. Even normally stable, competent producers have some variability or, if you like, outliers in this vintage. This phenomenon is sometimes explicable, but sometimes inexplicable coincidence.

Grivot has in recent years been very stable with an explicable variation in its wines: Climate conditions in the single plots can inform one’s understanding of the final wines, and indicate why some are showing better than others.

The tasting last year at Grivot shed some light on the variation in 2018 quality. But for me to claim complete understanding of this issue would be an exaggeration of significant dimensions. This is indeed an unpredictable and volatile vintage.

But let’s run through the Grivot line-up and see if we get a better understanding of 2018!

Tasting Notes for this producer

• Domaine Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Les Rouges 2009 November 29, 2016
• Domaine Etienne Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux-Monts 2014 June 5, 2016
• Domaine Etienne Grivot, Echezeaux 2014 May 23, 2016
• Domaine Etienne Grivot, Clos de Vougeot 2014 May 23, 2016
• Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots 2008 March 19, 2016
• Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots 2007 November 30, 2014
• Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots 2004 June 30, 2014
• Jean Grivot, Clos de Vougeot 2011 April 22, 2013
• Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 2011 April 18, 2013
• Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts 2011 April 17, 2013
• Domaine Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 2009 March 30, 2013
• Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 2007 March 8, 2013
• Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 2009 April 2, 2012
• Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 1988 November 7, 2011
• Jean Grivot, Echezeaux 2008 October 13, 2011

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