Description
Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur, Grand Cru Richebourg
Never mind the one percent. Richebourg exists in the top .01%, and that extends beyond Grand Cru Burgundy: This is the extreme totality of Pinot Noir, the be-all and end-all of vinous luxury, and one of the world’s most fiercely coveted cellar magnets. This hallowed vineyard site, shared by an all-star cast of legendary domaines, is world renown for producing some of the most complex, perfumed, deeply mineral, and shockingly desirable/unobtainable wines on the planet.
For die-hard Burgundy collectors, just hearing “Richebourg” quickens hearts and conjures up images of liquid gold because those seeking to acquire even one bottle must be mentally and financially prepared for the sticker shock: $1,000 for Hudelot-Noellat; $1,200 for Lucien Le Moine; $1,500 for Jean Grivot; $2,000 for Méo-Camuzet; $4,000 for DRC; and “ungodly” (if it can be located) for Leroy. That’s why I constantly come back to one of my personal favorite Burgundy addresses: Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur. Theirs is the standout value of the entire bunch, easily topping all others in terms of price-to-quality. As forecasted, nearly every producer has hiked their prices up this year, yet we’re still able to offer this ’17 at the best price in the country, delivered from their cellar to your doorstep with guaranteed perfect provenance. I’ll sign off sounding like a broken record: This one-way ticket to red Burgundy Shangri-La is highly limited and practically exclusive, and while it’s certainly not affordable, it’s among the greatest cellar investments we offer. Purchases must be restricted to three bottles per customer.
Warning: A complicated family tree lies ahead, so proceed at your own risk. The Gros family arrived in Vosne-Romanée in the 1830s and subsequently began a winemaking dynasty in Burgundy. Gros Frère et Soeur was formed in 1963 when brother and sister (frère et soeur) Gustave and Colette combined their land inheritance after their father’s estate holdings from Domaine Gros-Renaudot were split among his sons and daughters (thanks to Napoleon I decreeing that estates must be equally split between the owner’s children). A further subdivision occured when Gustave and Colette’s brother, Jean Gros, divvied up his holdings between his own offspring, Michel Gros, Anne-Françoise Gros (not to be confused with famed Anne Gros, who is their cousin), and Bernard Gros. Instead of forming his own domaine, Bernard Gros took over for Uncle Gustave at Gros Frère et Soeur when he passed away in 1984. Bernard now represents the sixth generation of Gros winemakers and today, his son Vincent joins his side.
Richebourg is divided into two lieux-dits, “Le Richebourg” and “Les Véroilles-ou-Richebourg,” with Bernard and Vincent’s 1.7-acre parcel lying in the latter. Soils are the classic limestone-clay blend and Gros Frère et Soeur farms according to lutte raisonnée principles; they drastically restrict yields and pruning is done to an almost neurotic extent in order to achieve the greatest levels of ripeness and concentration. In the winery, de-stemmed grapes ferment in stainless steel vats and age in 100% new French oak for about 16 months. The wine is lightly fined and always bottled unfiltered.
We simply cannot taste these wines any longer. They are too allocated, too expensive, and too precious. So, as I’ve said with every Richebourg release we’ve offered, I strongly suggest cellaring this as long as humanly possible—the more patient you are, the better it’ll be. However, the profundity and generosity of Gros Frère Richebourgs in their youth have always blown me away, so if you cannot fend off the urge to open one of these Grand Cru titans right now, please decant for 2-3 hours before pouring into bulbous Burgundy stems around 60 degrees. Furthermore, make your bottle stretch throughout an entire evening, ideally saving some for the second day as well. This is the Pinot Noir peak, folks. Age lengthily, open sparingly, and savor slowly. Cheers.
