Jean-Pierre Grossot > Burgundy

Jean-Pierre Grossot > Burgundy > France

CHABLIS

Corinne and Jean-Pierre Grossot, a young couple in their 30's, are the third generation of winemakers at this family domaine. They cultivate 32 acres of Chablis Appellation Controlée vineyards, centered in the village of Fleys, in the heart of the Chablis appellation. Their Premier Cru holdings include Vaucoupin, Mont de Milieu and Fourneaux, totaling just over 7 acres. The quality of the wines produced by the Grossot's from their excellent vineyards has not been lost on the critics. In a recent Decanter article, Clive Coates had the following to say: "Chablis has bred a new generation of young tigers to join the ranks of the Michels, Raveneaus, Dauvissats and Fèvres...Look out for the wines of Jean-Pierre Grossot at Fleys." The Wine Spectator recently awarded the Fourneaux 96-100 points and the Vaucoupin 94 points and the village Chablis is always considered as the finest of the vintage (especially with the fact that 30% of the wine is made from 1er cru grapes).

The Grossots take great care to produce exceptional Chablis wine by keeping the lively Chardonnay fruit, the unique mineral quality imparted by the Kimmeridgian soil and the fruity acidity and bouquet in perfect balance. The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed in a horizontal pressoir to ensure the fullest extraction of flavors and aromas.

The juice ferments very slowly at low, controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks. After a first racking, the new wines age in stainless steel only, which is traditional for Chablis. Malolactic fermentation is usually blocked for the AOC Chablis, or is allowed to proceed only halfway at most. On the other hand, the 1er Crus proceed through a full malolactic fermentation. Bottling takes place a year after the harvest.

Jean-Pierre Grossot Website

Chablis

Grossot takes great pride in his AOC Chablis wine, which he ennobles with 30% 1er Cru fruit. He feels that Chablis is a great expression of the unique combination of grape and terroir that makes it one of the world's finest white wines. That is why he persists in traditional vinification in steel and maintains low crop yields. The purity of his methods is evidenced in the very elegant bottlings he produces.

Classic Chablis palate, this wine is packed with flavors of ripe pear, citrus and minerals.

Chablis - Fourneaux 1er Cru

The Chablis 1er Cru Fourneaux comes from a steep, south facing slope on the far side of Fleys, across the valley from Grossot’s home and winery. Grossot replanted this vineyard because of its enormous potential. This Premier Cru represents fine value, and always “shows well” upon release. It is the most generous of the three Premier Cru bottlings, offering good depth of spicy, ripe pear fruit and a long finish.

Chablis - Vaucoupin 1er Cru

The Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin comes from a steep south-facing slope on the far side of Fleys. There is more clay in the soil and the vines are between 35 and 40 years old, which will tend to give a more full-bodied and concentrated wine. Grossot aims to balance the natural power of the Vaucoupin vineyard with finesse and soft acidity to produce an exquisite Chablis, needing at least three years in bottle to be fully enjoyed.

Chablis - Mont de Milieu 1er Cru

Grossot’s top wine is his Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu, where the vines are 50 years of age. The power of the south-facing Mont de Mileu site (an extension of the Grand Cru slopes) allows Grossot to age the wine in one-third barrels and two-thirds tank. It consistently shows a subtle, elegant character that hides the wine’s power and intensity for at least 2-3 years; indeed the Mont de Milieu typically comes into harmony after about 5 years when its shows pure and deeply defined flavors of essence of lemon, ripe pear, and minerals.

Jean-Pierre Grossot began his harvest on August 28th. The crop was only slightly reduced by the April frost. Lack of water during the summer combined with record heat were the principal reasons of the 40% reduction in volume. The grapes were in a perfect state of ripeness and health, and yields averaged 30hl/ha across all of his holdings. He cooled the fruit as it arrived at the winery and carefully maintained low temperature during fermentation. The Chablis and Vaucoupin were not acidified, while Grossot chose to add tiny amount of acidity to the Fourneaux and Mont de Milieu cuvees to attain balance. In order to preserve freshness, and because of the natural richness of the wines, Grossot reduced the vinification period as well as the aging on the lees. His wines underwent malolactic fermentation spontaneously because there was very little malolactic acid in the wines to begin with. He bottled the 2003s in the Fall of 2004.