Domaine Grivelet - Bonnes Mares 'Grand Cru' 1976 LONGE PROSPICIO JEROBOAM 3000ml Single OWC

Domaine Grivelet – Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 1976 ‘Longe Prospicio’ Jeroboam (3000 ml)

1. Overview and Rarity

The Domaine Grivelet Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 1976 “Longe Prospicio” Cuvée Princess Noura is one of the most exclusive and, at the same time, most controversial Burgundies ever to have come onto the market. This Jeroboam bottle (3,000 ml) – often listed in the auction trade as a ‘Double Magnum’ (3,090 ml) – is an exceptional collector’s item . Large-format bottles from this era are extremely rare from this winery, as production was limited from the outset and most bottles were sold in the USA.

The combination of the Bonnes Mares Grand Cru vineyard, the 1976 vintage, the exclusive cuvée designation and the Jeroboam size makes this wine one of the most sought-after – but also riskiest – items for Burgundy collectors.

2. The Domaine Grivelet

The Domaine Grivelet in Chambolle-Musigny was a small, traditional winery whose heyday lay between the two world wars. Under the management of Fernand Grivelet, a leading négociant-éleveur and member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the family owned the commune’s finest vineyards, including the Grand Cru Bonnes Mares, the Premier Cru vineyards Les Amoureuses and Les Charmes, and the Château de Chambolle-Musigny itself.

The estate has now been dissolved; the wines are traded almost exclusively from old private cellars. However, the name Grivelet is closely associatedwith one of the biggest wine forgery scandals of the 1970s.

3. The vineyard: Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

Bonnes Mares is one of the most prestigious Grand Crus of the Côte de Nuits and stretches across the communes of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis. The vineyard, covering around 15 hectares, lies at an altitude of 265 to 300 metres. The soils are heavier in the northern part near Morey-Saint-Denis, whilst in the southern part near Chambolle-Musigny they are lighter and more calcareous.

Bonnes-Mares is renowned for full-bodied, structured Pinot Noirs with good ageing potential. The vineyard is cultivatedby renowned estates such as Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze and Domaine Georges Roumier.

4. The designations ‘Longe Prospicio’ and ‘Cuvée Princess Noura’

The designation ‘Longe Prospicio’ (Latin for ‘to gaze into the distance’ or ‘to look ahead’) was an exclusive cuvée designation used by Domaine Grivelet for particularly high-quality bottlings. It appears on some of the estate’s most prestigious wines, including Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and Bonnes Mares.

The ‘Cuvée Princess Noura’ was another exclusive selection, apparently reserved for large-format bottles and particularly fine bottlings. The combination of both designations on a single bottle underlines the exceptional calibre of this bottling.

5. The 1976 vintage

The 1976 vintage in Burgundy was characterised by intense summer heat, which resulted in wines of remarkable concentration and structural depth. The finest producers were able to produce wines with great ageing potential, which developed elegantly over thedecades.

However, the wines from Domaine Grivelet of this vintage are not without controversy – not because of the vintage itself, but because of the historical circumstances surrounding their production and marketing.

6. The counterfeiting scandal of the 1970s

Domaine Grivelet’s reputation was permanently tarnished by one of the biggest wine counterfeiting scandals of the 20th century. Bernard Grivelet, a member of the family, was chargedin 1979 by the French anti-fraud authority and later convicted.

6.1 The scale of the fraud

Bernard Grivelet was accused of labelling some 70,000 bottles of cheap table wine (worth around $4 per bottle at the time ) with the prestigious labels of Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis.

6.2 Importation into the USA

The counterfeit wines were brought into the USA via the importer Castleton Imports of Jericho, New York. Castleton Imports brought 30,000 bottles of the counterfeit Grivelet Burgundies into the USA and distributed them to 40 to 50 retailers in New York City and on Long Island.

6.3 Legal proceedings

Castleton Imports was chargedby the US Department of Justice with knowingly and wilfully participating in the labelling fraud. In December 1982, the company pleaded guilty and was forced to withdraw permanently from the wine trade.

6.4 Large-format bottles particularly affected

In discussions amongst collectors, it is repeatedly pointed out that the large-format bottles (magnums, jeroboams, methuselahs and salmanazars) of Grivelet wines from the 1970s wereparticularly prone to counterfeiting. A wine connoisseur wrote in a forum: “The short answer is that yes, 1976 Grivelet Chambertin and Chambertin Clos de Beze wines, including those two wines in large formats, were counterfeited by Bernard Grivelet.”

7. Market and Prices

7.1 Auction Results

Prices for large-format Grivelet wines fluctuate considerably – not least due to their uncertain provenance:

The considerable price range between the various auctions reflectsthe uncertainty that still surrounds this wine today.

7.2 Condition of the bottles

The few surviving bottles are almost exclusively from old private cellars. Their condition is often compromised:

• labels with dirt, moisture stains and wear

• Wax capsules with sections missing around the cork

• Fill levels are generally in the good to very good range (‘good fill into neck’)

8. A word of caution for collectors

Due to historical counterfeits,the utmost caution is advised whenever purchasing a Grivelet wine from the 1970s :

• Provenance must be fully documented

• Large-format bottles carry a particularly high risk

• Even reputable auction houses such as Christie’s have, in the past, offered large-format Grivelet bottles whose authenticity has been questioned by collectors

• A chemical or sensory analysis by an expert is strongly recommended prior to purchase

9. Conclusion

The Domaine Grivelet Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 1976 ‘Longe Prospicio’ Cuvée Princess Noura in Jeroboam format is a wine of extremes: It combines one of Burgundy’s greatest vineyards, an exclusive large-format bottle and one of the house’s most exquisite cuvée designations – yet its name is forever linked to one of the darkest chapters in wine history.

For collectors who can acquire a bottle of unquestionable provenance, this wine may be a unique testament to a bygone era. Yet the risk of purchasing a forgery is exceptionally high with this wine . The significant price fluctuations on the auction market – ranging from $650 to over $3,000 – reflect this uncertainty.

Conclusion: The 1976 Grivelet Bonnes Mares in Jeroboam format is a fascinating but risky collector’s item – a wine that embodies Burgundy’s glorious past as much as the darker sides of the wine trade. One should only venture to purchase this wine after exercising the utmost care in verifying its provenance.