Domaine Grosbois: Tasting & Drinking
Domaine Grosbois is a very worthy addition to the Chinon pantheon, and I am not surprised to see the domaine has garnered an active, interested and supportive following during the course of the last couple of decades.
The domaine turns out an interesting range of wines reflecting the various lieux-dits of the domaine. In the early years the portfolio was fairly simple, with Clos du Noyer evidently a touch more ambitious, Gabare providing more volume, and then the easy-drinking La Cuisine de ma Mere. Today, with a more complex array of cuvées parcellaires the choice is more varied (and includes the more naturally styled Glacière if that’s your thing), and I would think these days which cuvée you prefer will be a much more personal choice.
Some of these cuvées have only been introduced in recent years, nevertheless I find the Clôture cuvée to be one of the best, perhaps not surprising given that it comes from such old vines. I also find the cuvée Montet to be very convincing, which I am sure reflects its confident limestone origins, as I have long preferred the tense and saline structure that can be found in limestone-clay cuvées of Chinon, more so than comes through in the wines from gravel or more alluvial soils. Those seeking out a more traditional style, or an earlier-drinking wine, might well be happier with Gabare or Moliers though, the terroirs ere more conducive to these styles.
While the cuvée La Cuisine de ma Mère can be a delight, I find myself unconvinced by the other négoce wines. Which is fine, because there seems to be plenty to keep me busy among the home-grown cuvées parcellaires, which I am happy to buy and cellar for my own pleasure.
May I suggest that, if you enjoy a glass of Chinon now and again, that you also get busy with buying, cellaring and drinking them? (6/12/16, updated 7/9/24)
