2017 Red Burgundy: Michel Gros and Domaine des Croix
2017 Red Burgundy: Gros & Croix
The 2017s keep coming and the more I taste, the more I love this vintage through and through. Today we have two producers from opposite ends of the horizon. Everyone whose anyone knows Michel Gros. Killer Vosne and Nuits. st Georges, famous for the outstanding monopole "Clos des Reas" and one of the more unique Clos des Vougeot. Surprisingly, their prices have not risen much in the last 5 years and the two Vosne premier crus are some of the best values in ageing Burgundy.
Domaine des Croix is a bit of a different animal. Started only in 2005, the winery is attempting to get some real killer property that has not strutted it's stuff as of yet in the world. Beaune happens to be the capital and the largest of the regions in Burgundy, but the premier cru sites are always playing second fiddle to Pommard and Volnay near by. Croix's sites in Beaune are tantalizingly interesting. Real focus and precision all around and oh yeah, they happen to have some grand cru sites in Corton nearby.
- 10% off 6, 15% off 12
- Wines Arrive between 11/1-11/15
Burghound on 2017 Domaine des Croix: "Régisseur David Croix commented about the 2017 vintage with a satisfied smile, "finally, we made some wine. It was honestly becoming depressing after the low yields we have endured in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and then 2016 was a complete disaster as we produced, on average, the equivalent of 7 hl/ha. This figure contrasts enormously with the roughly 45 hl/ha produced in 2017. What is perhaps even more remarkable is that we even dropped some fruit and still achieved that figure! I will note that the growing season was not without at least some excitement as we narrowly avoided another frost catastrophe. Otherwise though, things were calm and clement and while there was a spot of mildew at the beginning of summer, it didn't last as the conditions were largely pretty dry, in fact we had a bit of hydric stress in a few sectors. Thankfully there was just enough rain in August to provide the vines what they needed to finish the ripening cycle. I chose to begin picking on the 4th of September and the fruit really could not have been much cleaner. I used between zero and 40% whole clusters depending on the wine in question. As to the style of the 2017s, they remind me quite a bit of a more serious 2000, which is to say ripe but fresh. And also like the 2000s, I think that they will drink well early, later and in between." I quite agree with Croix' take on his wines as they do seem unusually accessible already."
2017 Domaine des Croix Aloxe Corton `Les Boutieres`
Was: $59.99
Sale: $55.99
BH 88 Points: A more restrained and slightly cooler nose consists mostly of red berry scents that are laced with earth and a whiff of spice. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the nicely detailed and punchy middle weight flavors that conclude in a focused, balanced and gently rustic finish.
2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Les Tuvilains
Was: $75.99
Sale: $69.99
BH 89-91 Points: A more deeply pitched and somewhat less elegant nose speaks of distinctly earthy aromas of plum, wild currant and a hint of forest floor. The succulent yet serious medium-bodied flavors possess focused power and punch, all wrapped in a rustic and youthfully austere finale.
2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes
Was: $79.99
Sale: $71.99
BH 90-92 Points: This is the first wine to display any appreciable reduction and it's enough to dominate the fruit today. Otherwise there is excellent volume in the context of the vintage to the racy and nicely concentrated medium-bodied flavors that evidence a taut muscularity on the lingering finish that also flashes a bit of youthful austerity.
2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Greves
Was: $99.99
Sale: $89.99
BH 90-93 Points: Cool, elegant and attractively layered aromas are composed by notes of red currant, violet, pungent earth and lovely spice elements. There is both excellent volume and density to the powerful, serious and equally muscular flavors that leave no doubt on the balanced and focused finish that this intense effort is built-to-age.
2017 Domaine des Croix Corton Charlemagne
Was: $204.99
Sale: $191.99
BH 92-94 Points: A pretty, fresh and well-layered nose consists of both white and yellow orchard fruit, and in particular green apple, as well as notes of acacia, mineral reduction and citrus zest. There is excellent volume and punch to the muscular and imposingly-scaled flavors that exhibit a driving minerality on the cool, focused and strikingly long bitter lemon-inflected finish. This terrific effort is very clearly built-to-age yet could probably be enjoyed after only 5-ish years.
2017 Domaine des Croix Corton la Vigne au Saint
Was: $159.99
Sale: $149.99
BH 91-93 Points: Reduction currently dominates the underlying fruit. By contrast there is a lovely sense of verve and freshness to the large-scaled and powerful flavors that possess excellent volume and richness before concluding in an impressively persistent finish that is less youthfully austere than usual.
Was: $75.99
Sale: $69.99
BH 89-91 Points: A more deeply pitched and somewhat less elegant nose speaks of distinctly earthy aromas of plum, wild currant and a hint of forest floor. The succulent yet serious medium-bodied flavors possess focused power and punch, all wrapped in a rustic and youthfully austere finale.
2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes
Was: $79.99
Sale: $71.99
BH 90-92 Points: This is the first wine to display any appreciable reduction and it's enough to dominate the fruit today. Otherwise there is excellent volume in the context of the vintage to the racy and nicely concentrated medium-bodied flavors that evidence a taut muscularity on the lingering finish that also flashes a bit of youthful austerity.
2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Greves
Was: $99.99
Sale: $89.99
BH 90-93 Points: Cool, elegant and attractively layered aromas are composed by notes of red currant, violet, pungent earth and lovely spice elements. There is both excellent volume and density to the powerful, serious and equally muscular flavors that leave no doubt on the balanced and focused finish that this intense effort is built-to-age.
2017 Domaine des Croix Corton Charlemagne
Was: $204.99
Sale: $191.99
BH 92-94 Points: A pretty, fresh and well-layered nose consists of both white and yellow orchard fruit, and in particular green apple, as well as notes of acacia, mineral reduction and citrus zest. There is excellent volume and punch to the muscular and imposingly-scaled flavors that exhibit a driving minerality on the cool, focused and strikingly long bitter lemon-inflected finish. This terrific effort is very clearly built-to-age yet could probably be enjoyed after only 5-ish years.
2017 Domaine des Croix Corton la Vigne au Saint
Was: $159.99
Sale: $149.99
BH 91-93 Points: Reduction currently dominates the underlying fruit. By contrast there is a lovely sense of verve and freshness to the large-scaled and powerful flavors that possess excellent volume and richness before concluding in an impressively persistent finish that is less youthfully austere than usual.
2017 Domaine des Croix Corton les Greves
Was: $159.99
Sale: $149.99
BH 90-93 Points: Here the beautifully fresh nose is deeply pitched with its array of plum, earth and violet aromas where a hint of game can be found. There is a lovely intensity to the sleek and well-detailed medium-bodied flavors that display only a hint of backend rusticity on the muscular finish. This isn't quite as rich as the Vigne au Saint but it's more precise and I would note that while this should easily repay a decade of cellaring, it should be approachable after only 5ish years.
Burghound on 2017 Michel Gros: "Michel Gros, who is an inveterate student of the weather and intricacies of every vintage, is always a great source of information. He described the 2017 growing season as one that "was much easier to manage than either 2015 or 2016. The season began relatively early and other than a late April frost scare, really didn't have much in the way of worries or problems. The flowering passed quickly and with very little shatter so the fruit set was both good and maturities homogenous. June was more than 2 warmer than usual which caused the vines to go into overdrive. From that point to the beginning of the harvest, conditions were calm and propitious. I chose to pick between the 9th and the 19th of September and the fruit was quite clean and with good maturities that averaged about 12% in terms of potential alcohol. I chose to concentrate the musts by about 8%, which is the approximate equivalent of raising the potential alcohols by 1%, which in this case means to 13%. Yields were abundant overall but with an important distinction which is to say that there was a significant difference between vines that had been damaged by frost in 2016 versus those that were either largely, or completely, untouched. The acidities aren't especially high and this contributes to the relatively forward and supple nature of the wines that should enable them to be enjoyed young."
2017 Michel Gros Nuits st. Georges 1er Cru Chailots
Was: $79.99
Sale: $69.99Was: $79.99
BH 88-91 Points: Once again the nose is firmly reduced and unreadable. As is usually the case, the mouthfeel of vibrant medium-bodied flavors is
noticeably finer and with more evident minerality that really become apparent on the youthfully austere, complex and lingering finish that is also better
balanced.
2017 Michel Gros Vosne Romanee
Was: $89.99
Sale: $79.99Was: $89.99
BH 88-90 Points: An attractively ripe and exuberantly fresh nose offers up notes of red cherry, plum, dark raspberry and a variety of spice nuances. Once
again the barely middle weight flavors are not particularly dense but I like both the texture and vibrancy of the sneaky long finish where a hint of wood
surfaces. This is very Vosne in character and should drink well young or with age.
2017 Michel Gros Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Aux Brulees
Was: $134.99
Sale: $123.99Was: $134.99
BH 90-92 Points: Prominent but not dominant wood frames the spicy aromas that are comprised mostly by notes of cassis, violet and anise. The more
refined and precise if less concentrated flavors brim with evident minerality that also suffuses the moderately austere, long and well-balanced finale.
Some patience will be required.
2017 Michel Gros Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Clos des Reas (Magnums Available)
Was: $159.99
Sale: $149.99Was: $159.99
BH 89-92 Points: There is just enough reduction to hide all but the much more subtle wood and spice wisps. The round, delicious and velvet-textured
middle weight flavors retain a lovely sense of detail and energy, all wrapped in a refined and again youthfully austere finish.
2017 Michel Gros Clos de Vougeot - Le Grand Maupertuis
Was: $199.99
Sale: $189.99Was: $199.99
BH 90-92 Points: Once again there is plenty of wood surrounding the distinctly earthy aromas of red and dark berries where a pretty top note of violet
appears. The relatively supple and forward flavors aren't dilute but neither are they dense, all wrapped in a firm, austere and solidly complex and
persistent finish. This is pretty and I like the depth but it would be fair to say that it is not at its usual level.