1999 Domaine Anne Gros Chambolle Musigny La Combe d'Orveau

Domaine Anne Gros is a 20-acre estate in Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy, owned and operated by Anne Gros. As a young woman, Gros had no intention of following her father, Francois Gros, into the family business of making wine. She studied literature at university. But when her father became ill in 1988 she took over the estate, earned a degree in viticulture, and began winning critical praise for her wines. In 1995 Domaine Anne Gros was officially launched as a reflection of her stewardship of the estate. Anne Gros’ wines earn high praise from such writers as Clive Coates, who notes that “she has a pure, perfectionistic touch, and the results are wines of great refinement, intensity, purity and depth of character.” The domaine makes Richebourg, Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot Grand Crus, as well as other wines.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

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.