2012 Hautes Cotes de Nuits Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Hautes Cotes de Nuits Blanc was raised half in new barrel and half in one-year old. It has a generous bouquet with grapefruit and nectarine that opens nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with touches of tangerine and kumquat infusing the citrus fruit and there is fine composure on the finish. This is worth checking out once released – this will have wide commercial appeal. Bernard gave me a superb boogie-woogie rendition of “Amazing Grace” on his Steinway, one that Jools Holland would be proud of, following my tasting of 2012s His grand piano, parked in a cavernous annex of his renovated cellar, is truly something to behold. There it stands against the craggy, fissured limestone walls that form a jaw-dropping juxtaposition against what appears to be the dance-floor at Studio 54. I’ve been visiting this address ever since I started in the wine trade and Bernard Gros’s style has remained unchanged during that period. These are big wines lavished in new oak – always have been and maybe always will be. I cannot help feeling that the range would be improved without resorting 100% new oak on every single cuvee from the village Vosne-Romanee upwards and I sometimes question the practice of heating the wines to 40 degrees for 24 hours to give rounder tannins. Is that over-egging an already very tasty cake? The wines are occasionally subjugated by the new wood and my experience of mature bottles suggests that they never quite shake it off, although there are Burgundy lovers who appreciate that style, perhaps in Japan where Bernard enjoys a strong following. When you start reaching the grand crus, in particular the Richebourg, only then you can see that the intense fruit is able to carry the wood and fully absorb it, allowing the terroir to show through. Bernard Gros is one of Vosne-Romanee’s most entertaining winemakers. I just hope that in future vintages he’ll just retreat a little from the cooperage so that we can see his propitious vineyards. Importer: Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Soft wood sets off notes of pear and melon that lead to round, rich and unusually ripe flavors in the context of the appellation, all wrapped in a delicious, plump and easy-to-like finish. Tasted: Jun 15, 2014. Drink: now
The 2012 Hautes Cotes de Nuits Blanc was raised half in new barrel and half in one-year old. It has a generous bouquet with grapefruit and nectarine that opens nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with touches of tangerine and kumquat infusing the citrus fruit and there is fine composure on the finish. This is worth checking out once released – this will have wide commercial appeal. ||Bernard gave me a superb boogie-woogie rendition of “Amazing Grace” on his Steinway, one that Jools Holland would be proud of, following my tasting of 2012s His grand piano, parked in a cavernous annex of his renovated cellar, is truly something to behold. There it stands against the craggy, fissured limestone walls that form a jaw-dropping juxtaposition against what appears to be the dance-floor at Studio 54. I’ve been visiting this address ever since I started in the wine trade and Bernard Gros’s style has remained unchanged during that period. These are big wines lavished in new oak – always have been and maybe always will be. I cannot help feeling that the range would be improved without resorting 100% new oak on every single cuvee from the village Vosne-Romanee upwards and I sometimes question the practice of heating the wines to 40 degrees for 24 hours to give rounder tannins. Is that over-egging an already very tasty cake? The wines are occasionally subjugated by the new wood and my experience of mature bottles suggests that they never quite shake it off, although there are Burgundy lovers who appreciate that style, perhaps in Japan where Bernard enjoys a strong following. When you start reaching the grand crus, in particular the Richebourg, only then you can see that the intense fruit is able to carry the wood and fully absorb it, allowing the terroir to show through. Bernard Gros is one of Vosne-Romanee’s most entertaining winemakers. I just hope that in future vintages he’ll just retreat a little from the cooperage so that we can see his propitious vineyards. eRobertParker.com.December, 2013
About the producer
Based in Vosne-Romanée, Domaine Gros Frère & Sœur is a relatively large estate for the Côte de Nuits with an impressive portfolio of wines including three Grands Crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux).