2019 Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Les Beaux Monts

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru has an extraordinarily powerful and unsubtle nose that almost bludgeons the olfactory senses with its black fruit and new oak. The fruit is pure, but at the moment it lacks a bit of nuance and Pinoté . The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly candied entry. Again, this is an intense Premier Cru, one with immense volume, but I am left wondering what lies behind that ostentatious facade? It’s difficult to peer through this at the moment, but I am convinced that I just caught this at the wrong time when it could be closing down. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

From both Beaux Monts Bas and Beaux Monts Hauts. Cask sample. Very dark with a purple rim. Ripe, intense black fruits. That nutty aroma again with the merest hint of curry leaf, peppery and spiced. On the palate, firm, chewy, more savoury but with the richness of black fruit and a hint of violets. Dark and savoury on the finish. Compact and seems to be an odd contradiction: firm tannins need time but the fruit is so ripe. Complex and hard to gauge its ageability. (JH)