At the end of March the Crurated company organized a lunch for about twenty people, apart from me the rest were Italian starred restaurateurs and high-level wine merchants, at the Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, to taste the wines of the Domaine Robert Groffier. Nicolas, Robert’s nephew, was present and told the story of his company and the vintages of the wines being tasted. Domaine Robert Groffier Pére & Fils is located in Burgundy in Morey-Saint Denis. The vineyards are in Morey and Chambolle, they are approximately eight hectares, all of Pinot Noir. Robert was succeeded by his son Serge and then, now, by his grandson Nicolas. The latter did a great job in the vineyard and harmonized a fleshy and exuberant fruit with silky tannins. Power and elegance are the image of these wines.
Let’s leave the prices alone, unfortunately Borgona now has prohibitive prices.
A wine that I knew because in the past I had purchased it from its former Italian distributor Fabio Rango, known as Ringo, from Travagliato in the province of Brescia.
The Crurated company was represented by Leonardo Vallone who explained to us the commercial aims of the company which trades important wines and has entered into commercial agreements with wine producers by purchasing the wines, in some cases, exclusively. The clientele of this company is on the one hand made up of high-level restaurateurs and wine merchants and on the other hand carefully chosen private individuals who are part of a club.
But let’s now talk about this very pleasant lunch. The wines were paired with dishes in perfect harmony with each other.
We started with “the grilled veal tongue salad with chicken liver pâté, black truffle and cardoncelli” accompanied by two wines, the Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022 and the Gevrey Chambertin Les Seuvrées 2022. Followed by the “green lasagnette , béchamel, celeriac, white pheasant ragout and smoked marrow” bathed in an excellent Chambolle Musigny 1is Cru Les Sentiers 2022.
The next dish was “Roasted shoulder of lamb with potato millefeuille with Colonnata lard” paired with a great wine, the Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Grand Cru, 2022.
The “100% corn: polenta, hazelnut, fir and Castelmagno was combined with two wonderful wines: Chambolle Musigny 1is Cru Les Amoureuses 2022 La Gràce des Argiles e Chambolle Musigny 1is Vintage Les Amoureuses 2016.
At the end of lunch we were served the Chambolle Musigny 1is Cru Les Sentiers 2014.
It goes without saying that the food, as always, was excellent and that the wines were superlative with silky tannins and a perfect balance between alcohol and freshness.
We now come to describe the wines tasted and drunk, but first I must make the following premise.
Regarding the width of the tannin, it is important to make the following clarifications so that it can be understood. I feel the tannin of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, i.e. the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less broad, it could be for example 5/6 and so on. The width of the tannin is important when the quality of the tannin is of good or high level. The larger the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the tannin, as I have specified, must, in any case, be of good quality.
Let’s now move on to describing the wines tasted.
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
BURGUNDY PINOT NOIR, annata 2022
Cardinal Red.
Rich and varied nose composed of aromas of mint, eucalyptus, raspberry, hints of finely worked tannery leather, black pepper, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, bay leaves and small grains of liquorice.
On the palate the body is medium sufficient plus, a fine, elegant wine and well balanced between alcohol – freshness – tannins. The latter are sweet, silky and quite large (5/6). Its intense aromatic persistence is long. Nice wine with pleasant drinking. (92/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
GEVREY CHAMBERTIN LES SEUVRÉES, annata 2022
Mix of ruby red and purple.
It diffuses aromas of worked leather, black pepper, nutmeg, new wood mint, eucalyptus, flint, light episperm sweets (boiled chestnut peel), raspberries and chocolate.
On the palate you can enjoy a medium body.
Wine well balanced between alcohol and freshness thanks to the latter being generously present. The tannins are sweet, quite thick, quite broad (5/6), initially silky and then drying the upper gum a little (wood tannins).
Its intense aromatic persistence is long. (93/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 1is CRU LES SENTIERS, vintage 2022
Ruby red color with purple highlights.
Olfactory debut with generous notes of flint and sweet woody notes of episperm (boiled chestnut skin), black pepper, nutmeg, mint, eucalyptus, raspberry, bay leaves, peeled tomatoes and Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk).
On the palate it reveals a medium, fine, elegant body with pleasant flavor and minerality.
Wine with the freshness and tannins that dominate, without second thoughts, the alcoholic mass. The tannins are sweet, silky and broad (6/6). Its flavor persistence is long with a finish of raspberries and peeled tomatoes. (95/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
CHAMBERTIN CLOS DE BÉZE GRAND CRU, vintage 2022
From the glass shines ruby red with purple highlights.
Upon olfactory examination it is intense and expresses aromas of raspberry, vegetable leather, flint, graphite, light smoke, mint, eucalyptus, tomato preserves, quite intense aromas of episperm (boiled chestnut skin), black pepper and nutmeg.
The body is medium and is fine and elegant. Savory and mineral wine. At this moment the balance between alcohol and freshness is slightly fluctuating, the rest of the wine in the bottle will certainly improve it. The tannins are sweet, thick, quite broad (5/6+), initially silky and then slightly drying the upper gum. Its taste persistence is very long with a finish of flint and raspberry.
The wine will certainly improve in terms of taste balance but the tannins, although high quality, are not completely broad. (96/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 1is RAW LOVERS
“THE GRACE OF CLAYS”, annata 2022
(This is the northernmost part of the vineyard of Les Amoureuses and this is the first year of production)
At the olfactory onset it shows intense balsamic notes of rosemary followed by mint, eucalyptus, bay leaves, sage, licorice, flint, graphite, light woody, smoky notes, raspberry, medicinal herbs, wild sex, almond shell, black pepper, nutmeg and cloves.
In the mouth you can enjoy a medium plus body and is fine and elegant. The wine has a mineral flavor and has a perfect gustatory balance thanks also to its generous freshness.
The tannins are sweet, quite thick, broad (6/6-) and silky. Its intense aromatic persistence is long. (97/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 1is CRU LES AMOUREUSES, annata 2016
Ruby red color.
Olfactory expression composed of intense aromas of dried plum, dried hay and chlorophyll.
The olfactory journey continues with notes of graphite, ripe strawberry, starch (spray starch, for ironing), rusty pear, episperm (sweet from the skin of the boiled chestnut), medicinal herbs, mild of Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk), intense of peanuts, finishing with puffs of tomato sauce.
On the palate it offers flavors of dried plum and ripe raspberry. The body is medium, less present than that of 2022. Well-balanced wine with the alcohol mass dominated by freshness and tannins. The latter are sweet, quite large (5/6) and silky.
Its taste persistence is long. (96/100)
DOMAINE ROBERT GROFFIER Father and Son
CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY 1is CRU LES SENTIERS, vintage 2014
Ruby red coat with fine garnet edge.
Aromatic breadth composed of aromas of cotton starch, peanut, finely processed tannery leather, mint, eucalyptus, slight smoke, graphite, mint, eucalyptus, boiled chestnut with dried wild fennel, rust, rubber, finishing with caresses of liquorice .
Mouth with nice acidity and a sufficient medium body. The balance between alcohol and freshness is slightly fluctuating. The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6–) initially velvety, then drying and causing the upper gum to burn slightly.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long despite the fact that the body tends to thin out. (92/100)
