Staff Notes:
"I tasted three different components of the 2018 Château Grillet. First, from the top of the property, a round, lush, silky, long wine (94 - 96). Second, from just behind the château, a more exotic, tropical barrel that was almost kinky in its restraint, full-bodied, rich and long (96 - 98). Finally, a barrel from an adjacent parcel (also mid-slope) that shows less opulence but even more power, structure and length (97 - 99). This should prove to be another great Château Grillet. I was fortunate to have only one visit on the day I arrived in France—and to have it be at this legendary property. Purchased by the Pinault family in 2011 and managed by Frédéric Engerer (who also looks after the family's other viticultural interests—Château Latour, Clos de Tart, Domaine Eugenie, Eisele Vineyard), the quality here is still on the upswing. Korean winemaker Jaeok Cramette arrived at the property in March of this year, having moved down from Domaine Eugenie in the Côte de Nuits. She previously worked for an importer in South Korea but came to France in 2008 to pursue a winemaking degree and stayed in Burgundy afterward. Despite being a recent arrival, she was conversant with all the vineyard plots, saying of the property's four hectares, ‘I feel like I'm doing gardening, not viticulture.’ This minuscule estate recently added an adjacent parcel of Condrieu, so going forward there will be three wines released each year." 98-98 Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate