Domaine Albert Grivault

With vineyard prices where they are today, it’s very difficult to imagine the era during (or just after) the phylloxera crisis in the late nineteenth century, when one couldn’t give land away. Back then, 23-year-old Albert Grivault had the foresight to buy the monopole Clos des Perrières, in theory the best bit of Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières.

Today, a hectare of prime 1er Cru like that might set you back a prohibitive 10 million euros, certainly a little too much for someone just out of school. But chapeau to Albert, he used this vineyard to form the heart of his new domaine, which he created in 1879.

Fast forward 144 years to 2023 and we find his grandson, Michel Bardet, 85 years young, still coming to the domaine every day to check on how things are and meet clients. His daughter, Claire, manages the estate on a day-to-day basis, operating out of the house that her great grandfather had bought in 1908, the year before he died. His wife, and their daughter, continued to run the domaine after his death, although the 15 hectares that they had initially inherited were gradually reduced bit by bit through sales and charitable donations.

In another indication of the change in perspective from today, the family decided to sell 1.5 hectares of Clos Vougeot in 1931 because it was deemed too far away, in the foreign country that is the Côte de Nuits! Somehow, this domaine continues to function very much under the radar despite its history and reputation.

The wines are excellent, very fine indeed, and perform very well against their peers. There are four whites made and one red. The first two whites are an interesting curiosity, as one is an extension of the other in terms of vineyard, yet they are different appellations. Part of the Clos du Murgers, which lies behind the house, is classified as Bourgogne and part as Meursault. It’s 2.5 hectares in size in total, of which the Bourgogne accounts for just over a third. The Bourgogne was replanted quite recently in 2001, whilst the Meursault is just over 50 years old, having been replanted in 1971. Aside from their hectare of the Clos des Perrières, they also have 1.5 hectares of ‘straight’ Perrières, which makes them the biggest holder of vines in the appellation. The Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc comes from a vineyard with lots of limestone and tends towards the linear, vibrant style of Pommard.