Domaine Michel Gros

Everything started with Alphonse Gros. Born in 1804 at Chaux (a small village in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits located at 2 km above Nuits-Saint-Georges), Alphonse Gros got married with Miss Latour and settled in Vosne-Romanée in 1830.

In this village, whose name would become one of the most famous wine appellation in the world, Alphonse Gros bought a house, part of which is still Jean Gros's home at No 3 Rue des Communes. This house sheltered Don Trouvé during the 1789 revolution, since he was Father Superior of the Abbey of Cîteaux. In 1860, Alphonse bought the Clos des Reas parcel which is now fully run by Michel Gros.

Louis-Gustave, one of the two sons of Alphonse, took over his father's domain and got married with Miss Guenaud. At that time, he sold his wines under the name Domaine Gros-Guenaud. He was one of the first vine-growers from the Côte to sell his wine in bottles directly to private customers. In 1882, he bought 2 hectares of Richebourg, which are now run by the 3 other family domains.

Jules Gros got married with Miss Renaudot and run his vines under the name Domaine Gros-Renaudot. In 1920, Jules Gros bought two parcels of Clos Vougeot at Léonce Bocquet's property sale. These two parcels are intended for his son Louis, who was the only survivor, in spite of serious injuries, from World War 1. A few years later, Jules bought Les Grands Échézeaux and worked all his life long to put together a 3 hectare parcel in the Échézeaux, at a locality named « les Loächausses».

Louis Gros continued the work begun by his father under the name Domaine Louis Gros and then Domaine Louis Gros & Fils. He died in 1951. His four children (Jean, Gustave, François and Colette) ran the estate on a joint possession basis. In 1963, they split the domain: Gustave and Colette put their shares together to create the Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur, which is run by Bernard Gros, their nephew and Michel's brother. Jean and François worked together in the company Gros Pere et Fils until 1973 when they split to set up their own estate.

Jean Gros had received 4 ha of vines in his share, composed of the "Clos des Reas", 0,5 ha in Richebourg and 0,5 ha in Vosne Romanee. He developed his domain - the Domaine Jean Gros – to a great extent by buying vines such as, for example, the Clos Vougeot in 1967, that he bought in the name of his son Michel for his 11th birthday. It is above all by regrouping and replanting fallow land in Vosne Romanée, Nuits Saint Georges, in the Bourgogne appellations and in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits (at Arcenant), that he developed the estate.

Jean Gros, an innovative and original mind, has always been a fervent advocate of high and large vine training, a practice that is still present in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, where they have been widely adopted. He also was an enthusiastic supporter of mechanisation and contributed to adapt and adjust a lot of gear and techniques.

After 1995's wine harvest, Jean Gros retired and split the domain (GFA Jean Gros between his three children: Michel, who had run the estate together with his own parcels up to that date; Anne-Françoise, married with François Parent, who had created the A.F Gros domain in Pommard in 1988; Bernard, manager of the Domaine Gros Frere et Sœur where he had worked since 1980. Even if today, Jean Gros leaves his son Michel free to run the domain as he wishes, he regularly comes round and every year enjoys sharing daily meals with the grape-pickers.

In Burgundy, every vintage gives very different wines and imposes continuous adjustments. The following description is therefore flexible according to annual variations. However, the same process is used and the same care is taken for both Bourgogne and Clos Vougeot wines, whatever the level of appellation. Hand-picking only. Immediate sorting out of the grapes on the vine thanks to the "basket-emptiers-sorters" (1 sorter for 3 to 6 pickers according to the needs).

Transport in 30kg plastic grape bins, which avoids tamping of the bunches. De-stemming and vatting in concrete tanks.

Since 1996, the domain has completely abandoned chaptalization, which is replaced by the use of a concentrator of must, if necessary. Yeast addition with selected fermenting yeast after 24 to 48h. Temperature controlled fermentation (max. 32°C). Pumping over twice a day (morning and evening) until the middle of the fermentation process. Mechanical punching down of the cap twice a day until de-vatting.

Covering of the vats during the post fermenting maceration phase and heating of the must up to 38°C for 24 hours. De-vatting and pressing a few days later when the must has cooled down to 30°C. Decanting the wine for a few days in a tank, followed by the casking.

BOURGOGNE & BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES DE NUITS

During the first 6 months, these wines are kept in large oak barrels in a very old cellar located underneath Jean GROS's house. During the following 12 months, maturing continues in traditional barrels of 1 to 3 wines. Those barrels, which have stored higher ranked wines, give a little of the aromas of the previous wines. This technique improves the complexity of those cuvées.

VILLAGES, 1ers CRUS & GRAND CRU

For these wines, the transfer into barrels takes place a few days after de-vatting for an eighteen-month stay. The balance between new barrels and barrels having already been used for a previous vintage depends on the level of appellation and the vintage.

The average proportion of new oak barrels is :

30% to 40% for Village appellations,

50% to 80% for 1er Crus,

100% for Grand Cru.

Only one racking is made at the end of the malolactic fermentation, usually at the end of the winter following the harvest. When the wines are about eighteen months old, that is in April, the blending of the barrels of the same appellation is carried out thanks to a racking in blending vats. We take advantage of this transfer to fine the wines with egg white albumin. The wines are kept "on fining agents" until the end of August, when it's time for bottling.

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Clos des Réas Monopole 2011 won the gold medal at Mondial des Pinots 2014 competition, in Sierre, Switzerland, with 90 points.