2005 Grivot Nuits St Georges Charmois

Tasting note: This too is very ripe and distinctly earthy with good spice on the rich, sweet and mouth coating flavors and I especially like the texture of the balance and moderately rustic finish. This is very Nuits but not crude and should repay 6 to 8 years of cellar time. Tasted: Jan 01, 2007 Score: 86-89 Drink: 2012

Issue 25, Burghound

Producer note: Etienne Grivot describes 2005 as "at least as good as 2002 and it may very well be better. The growing season was remarkable and only a bit of hail in certain sectors detracts from what was otherwise perfect because it cost us about 20% of our usual quantities. We didn't do a green harvest even without the hail, that's just how good the growing season was. The crop was super clean with excellent sugars, ideal acidities and impeccable phenolic ripeness of the structural elements. Because the sugars were very good, indeed the highest I had was at 13.2%, I chaptalized either none at all or a maximum of one-quarter percent. As I have done for several years now, I destemmed 100% but left the berries intact and worked only with pump overs and no punching down with the goal of working more in the vein of fruit and finesse than extraction. The vinifications were easy and the colors came easily because the skins were so thick. The wines have perfect balance as they're fleshy and rich which buffers the firm but ripe acidities. I very much like the vintage and believe that it has great potential but only time can tell you how good it really is." The present plan is to bottle in March without fining or filtration. As the scores and comments suggest, 2005 is an exceptionally impressive vintage for Grivot and I like the style of the '04s as well though there the quality, like the vintage, is more mixed, running between solid and wonderful. (Diageo/Château and Estates, NY; Ballantynes of Cowbridge, Seckford Wines, Berry Brothers