1993 Clos Vougeot

The Clos de Vougeot's sweet entry is followed by hard, raw tannin in the finish. With medium body and excellent concentration, it is a persuasive wine that merits its high score. However, this backward wine needs 5-6 years of cellaring; it should age for 15+ years. Grivot's 1993s raise few questions as to whether the fruit will be present when the wines reach their apogees. Among the most profoundly colored wines of the vintage, they all possess opaque, saturated purple/black robes. None of Grivot's 1993s were fined, but they were bottled with a light polishing filtration. Much has been made of the fact that Grivot was a follower of Guy Accad. Because of that he has, in my opinion, been unfairly criticized. While Accad had influence over the winemaking, offering advice both in the vineyard and the winery, Grivot had full control over all aspects of his vineyards and cellars. Accad's presence in Grivot's cellars is no longer in evidence, as Grivot is one more client to abandon Accad's revolution. I thought Grivot's 1993s were some of the finest wines this estate has made in decades. Grivot's wines tend to be robust, rich, and generally ageworthy. That being said, except for the most concentrated vintages I would opt for drinking his wines within 10-12 years of the vintage. Certainly there is no lack of fruit extract in this domaine's 1993s. Importer: Chateau and Estate Wine Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 572-7725