Anne’s Comments
2011 vintage, a great surprise !
After a spring liking a summer, a fast growth, in July and August we suffered from rains. There were a lot of disparities between the different plots and producers. Rot appeared sometimes very quickly.
My fist idea was to pick the soonest as possible but I finally had to wait August 31. Harvest spread over 17 days and it was the hottest grapes we never picked. Crunchy grapes, rich in sugar and acidity at the start but that began to be gradually deteriorate by the effect of heat-wave temperatures.
I can say it is a vintage with a better potential than expected. Red wines have an extraordinary balance, refined tannins, magnificent acidities and sumptuous colours. White wines are extremly rich, round and tense. It is not yet a generous harvest in volume for Burgundy.
In Minervois, nature was more generous. We picked from August 31 to September 18 under a cool weather brought by the sea and the alternance with wind from West (Le Cers) which helped to ripe. It is the first time we managed to obtain a balanced Grenache ! On the other hand, we are still impressed by our excellent quality of Carignans. A true pleasure for a winemaker !
journalists’ Comments
Allen Meadows
Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2011 : an expressive and quite cool nose of red berry fruit, wet stone and a hint of earth introduces the light weight and punchy flavors that possess good detail on the slightly sweet finish that offers acceptable length.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2011 : a deft touch of wood sets off otherwise very fresh and pure red currant and plum aromas. therie is good punch andslightly better ripeness to the light weight, round and acceptably long finish. this is definitelyon the lighter side but there is a bit better depth of material.
Chambolle Musigny 2011 : light ruby. this isexceptionally pretty with its airy and relatively high-toned red pinot fruit suffused nose. There is a lovely touch of minerality to the very pure light weight flavors that are delicious and persistent if delivering only average depth. Still, this is attractive in its fashion.
Echezeaux 2011 : this is also exceptionally spicy and again offers a notable step un both aromatic complexity as well as fruit density. there is good freshness to the mostly cassis, black raspberry and plum aromas though there is a top note of violet too. there is good extract that coats the mouth and imparts a seductive texture to the medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a solidly powerful and energetic finish.
Clos Vougeot 2011 : a background touch of wood spice is visible on the otherwise very fresh, restrained and nicely complex array of earth, humus and red currant aromas. There is good power and a taut muscularity to the broad-shouldered flavors that are supported by firm but well-integrated tannins on the balanced, long, dustyand mouth coating finish that is noticeably less austere than usual.
Richebourg 2011 : this is perfectly ripe with a pure nose of essence of wild red berry fruit that is liberrally laced with earth, asian spice and wet nuances. there is excellent volume to the solidily structured middle weight flavors that possess good maturity of the structural elements that shape the dusty, firm and persistent finish where a touch of wood can be discerned. Like the Echezeaux, this ison the lighter side for a Richebourg but this is not to say lacking in concentration but rather lightly extracted.
Tim Atkin Burgundy special report
Richebourg 2011 : Anne Gros’ wines tend towards subtely and freshness rather than immediate, in your facepower and exuberance. That’s certainly the case here in this nuances, finely wrought Richebourg from the Verroilles lieu dit. It is fresh and feline, with notes of red currant, clove and raspberry, subtle oak and a long, satisfying finish. 2016-2025.
Echezeaux 2011 : At less than 30 years of age, this is still a comparatively young parcel of Echezeaux. It’s light and delicate, with fine-grained, lacy tannins and sweet red berry fruit. The wine is pale yet fragrant, with a beautiful persistence. 2015-2022.
Notes de dégustation de Stephen Tanzer janvier 2013
Hautes Côtes de Nuits Cuvée Marine : perfumed aromas of raspberry, violet, white pepper and blood orange. Juicy and lean, with a greenness to the blueberry flavor. With modest stuffing,the lingering finish comes across as rather dry. 85-87
Chambolle Musigny la Combe d’Orveau : palish red. Pretty aromas of red cherry and raspberry, with a hint of reduction. Juicy and tactile in the mouth, with strong saline minerality complicating the red berry and soil flavors. Sharply chiseled village wine with a persistent, lightly salty finish that stimulates the salivary glands. This is about 12.6% alcohol right now, following what Anne Gros said was light chaptalization. It will be dangerously easy to drink. 87-89
Vosne Romanée les Barreaux : good deep red, captivating perfume of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, cocoa powder, minerals and flowers. Nicely dense and spicy in the mouth, combining enticing sweetness with terrific cut finishes with very good length and a serious tannic spine. this very promising and precise village wine will need time in bottle to fill out. 88-90
Echezeaux les Loachausses : medium red, pungent minerality lifts aromas of redcurrant, red cherry and chocolate. Silky, dense and intense, with sappy, dry red fruit flavors complicated by mineral and soil tones. this lovely, vibrant wine really spreads out to coat the palate on the youthfully firm back end. 90-93
Clos Vougeot le Grand Maupertui : good bright red with ruby highlights. Pure, perfumed aromas of blueberry, minerals and flowers. Juicy, tight and savory, with an almost minty quality contributing to the impression of lift. But this firmly tannic and very backward wine is tough to taste today. 91-93
Richebourg : good bright red-ruby. Sexy aromas and flavors of black fruits, rose petal and spicy oak lifted by a peppery topnote. Densely packed, saline and firmly built, offering ethereal inner-mouth perfume and outstanding verve. Really spreads out and vibrates on the very long, chewy finish. Like the rest of this estate’s 2011s, this is not a fat wine but offers superb energy and structure. And clearly the longest of these 2011s. 92-95
Notes de dégustation de Ian Wescott
Hautes Côtes de Nuits : an expressive and quite cool nose of red berry fruit, wet stone and a hint of earth introduces the light weight and punchy flavors that posses good detail on the slightly sweet finish that offers acceptable length. 84-86
Bourgogne rouge : a deft touch of wood sets off otherwise very fresh and pure red currant and plum aromas. there is good punch and slightly better ripeness to the light weight, round and acceptably long finish. This is definitly on the lighter side but there is a bit better depth of material. 85-87
Chambolle Musigny la Combe d’Orveau : light ruby. thisis exceptionnally pretty with its airy and relatively high-toned red pinot fruit suffused nose. there is a lovely touch of minerality to the very pure light weight flavors that are delicious and persistent if delivering only average depth. Still, this is attractive in its fashion. 86-88
Vosne Romanée les Barreaux : a spicy, ripe and attractively fresh nose features hint of violet and rose petal along with both red and dark pinot fruit scents. there is a lovely texture to the pliant, round and delicious light weight flavors that possess notably better overall complexity, and slightly better persistence as well. 87-89
Echezeaux les Loachausses : this is also exceptionally spicy and again offers a notable step up both aromatic complexity as well as fruit density. There is good freshness to the mostly cassis, black rasberry and plum aromas though there is a top note of violet too. There is good extract that coats the mouth and imparts a seductive texture to the medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a solidly powerful and energetic finish. 89-92
Clos Vougeot le Grand Maupertui : a background touch of wood spice is visible on the otherwise very fresh, restrained and nicely complex array of earth, humus and red currant aromas. There is good power and a taut muscularity to the broad-shouldered flavors that are supported by firm but well-integrated tannins on the balanced, long, dusty and mouth coating finish that is noticeably less austere than usual. 90-92
Richebourg : this is perfectly ripe with a pure nose of essence of wild red berry fruit that is liberally laced with earth, asian spice and wet stone nuances. There is excellent volume to the solidly structured middle weight flavors that possess good maturity of the structural elements that shape the dusty, firm and persistent finish where a touch of wood can be discerned. Like the Echezeaux, this is on the lighter side for a Richebourg but this is not to say lacking in concentration but rather lightly extracted. 91-94
VINTAGES