1998 Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur Clos Vougeot Musigni

Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur is part of a family dynasty in the Cotes de Nuits that goes back to 1830, when Alphonse Gros settled in Vosne-Romanee with his new wife. Many generations later, the estate is now divided among three siblings, Michel, Bernard and Anne Gros. Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur is managed by Bernard and it includes a total of 20.6 acres. There are important parcels in Richebourg, Grands-Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot. Like his siblings, Bernard is known as a consummate viticulturalist. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that Bernard’s wines “are among the most extraordinarily exotic, hedonistic wines produced in all of Burgundy….I often wonder what miracles occur in his cellars to produce wines with such incredible bouquets of oranges, raspberries and apricots.”

Clos de Vougeot is a walled vineyard that dominates the tiny commune of Vougeot in Burgundy’s Nuits-St.-Georges. The 124-acre Grand Cru vineyard includes a historic chateau that in 1945 was purchased by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an organization devoted to promoting the traditions of Burgundy and its wines. The impressive chateau is the organization’s headquarters. Clos de Vougeot was established as a vineyard by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, then sold off to private owners after the French Revolution. The vineyard is unusual for a Grand Cru in that it includes land that runs down to the main road. The soil is light limestone with sand. Principal landowners are Chateau de la Tour, with 13 acres; Meo-Camuzet, 7.5 acres; Rebourseau, 5.5 acres; Louis Jadot, 5.3 acres; and Leroy, 5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.