Domaine Grivelet – Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru ‘Les Amoureuses’ Cuvée Princess Noura 1976 MATHUSALEM 5400ml

Domaine Grivelet – Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses” Tête de Cuvée 1976: A gem from a bygone era

The Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru ‘Les Amoureuses’ Tête de Cuvée 1976 from Domaine Grivelet is a wine of rare historical depth – a testament to the Burgundian winemaking tradition, hailing from one of the most prestigious Premier Cru sites in the Côte de Nuits and bearing the hallmark of an estate whose roots stretch back to the early 20th century.

Domaine Grivelet was a historic estate in Vosne-Romanée that, for generations, counted amongst the established names of the Côte de Nuits. The Grivelet family were originally coopers – a craft that has always been closely linked to viticulture in Burgundy – and produced, in Fernand Grivelet (1885–1958) and his son Bernard Grivelet (1913–…), two prominent winemakers who shaped the estate. Fernand Grivelet was a leading négociant-éleveur on the Côte de Nuits during the interwar period, and the family business, which operated under the names Grivelet Père & Fils and Domaine Grivelet, owned vineyards in some of Burgundy’s most renowned sites. These included the Premier Cru vineyard Les Malconsorts in Vosne-Romanée – which remained in the family’s possession until 1964 – as well as plots in Chambolle-Musigny (including Les Amoureuses, Les Charmes, Les Beaux-Bruns and Les Hauts-Doix), in Vougeot and in Echézeaux. The estate’s wines were traded internationally and sold at auctions held by renowned houses such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and HDH Auctions – a testament to the former significance of the Domaine.

At the heart of this wine lies the ‘Les Amoureuses’ vineyard, one of Burgundy’s most famous Premier Cru sites. Covering just 5.4 hectares, the appellation lies at the southern end of the commune of Chambolle-Musigny, immediately below the Grand Cru Le Musigny and above the Premier Cru vineyards of Vougeot. The name – ‘The Lovers’ – stems from a legend surrounding the vineyards; however, its exact origin is unknown. The soil consists of a thin layer of stony topsoil over a hard limestone subsoil, which ensures excellent drainage and forces the vines to penetrate deep into the crevices in the rock. The gently terraced slope faces south-east and receives plenty of sunlight, whilst being sheltered from the intense afternoon sun – ideal conditions for the slow, complete ripening of the Pinot Noir. The wines from this vineyard are prized by connoisseurs for their exceptional combination of delicacy and intensity – with earthy notes and firm yet silky tannins. The renowned wine writer Clive Coates MW once described ‘Les Amoureuses’ as ‘a younger brother of Musigny itself – fragrant, silky, intense and supple rather than brutal and muscular, and with genuine finesse’. None other than Burgundy expert Anthony Hanson remarked that the quality of this vineyard “is more reminiscent of a Grand Cru than a Premier Cru”.

The 1976 vintage was a year of extremes in Burgundy. Following a series of poor vintages – particularly the rainy 1975 – 1976 brought a frost-free winter and a mild spring, followed by an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Wine literature still recalls ‘the year of the heatwave’ and the drought, which hampered photosynthesis and put the vines under stress. The harvest began in mid-September and was early; timely rainfall at the end of the month did not affect the majority of the grapes. The result was exceptionally concentrated Pinot Noir wines with a dense structure and remarkable depth. Wine journalist Clive Coates described the vintage in retrospect as ‘great’ and emphasised that the finest examples from the Côte de Nuits – despite the challenges posed by the heat – displayed ‘astonishing concentration and longevity’. Wine-Searcher confirms: “Although it was a hot and early vintage, 1976 is still considered an excellent year for the best domaines and appellations”.

The ‘Tête de Cuvée’ – meaning ‘top cuvée’ – refers to the first, gentle pressing stage in winemaking, which yields the finest and clearest juice. This is particularly rich in sugar and acidity, but low in tannins. At Grivelet, this designation was used for the estate’s finest plots and oldest vines – a selection that was bottled only in exceptional years and in limited quantities. The ‘Reserve Numérote’ bottling, which is documented in auction records, underlines the exclusivity of this cuvée: each bottle was individually numbered, a sign of special esteem from the estate.

After more than four decades of ageing in the bottle, this 1976 Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ Tête de Cuvéeis in a condition reserved for only the very greatest rarities. The colour is likely to be a luminous ruby red with subtle brick-red highlights – the typical patina of a Burgundy that has matured for over forty years. The nose unfolds the classic aromatic spectrum of a great Chambolle-Musigny: notes of wild raspberries, ripe strawberries, violets and acacia, underpinned by the tertiary aromas characteristic of mature Burgundies – undergrowth, leather, musk and a hint of truffle. On the palate, there is a silky, almost weightless texture that embodies the combination of delicacy and intensity so typical of ‘Les Amoureuses’. The tannins are fine and polished, the acidity lively and well-integrated, and the finish exceptionally long and mineral. The auction results underscore the rarity of this wine: Bottles from the 1976 vintage were auctioned at renowned houses such as Skinner, Bonhams and WineBid, with liquid levels between 2 and 3 centimetres below the capsule and the labels showing signs of ageing, storage and dust typical of their age.

For collectors and connoisseurs, the 1976 Grivelet Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ Tête de Cuvéeis a wine of great rarity – a testament to a bygone era of Burgundian viticulture, from one of the finest Premier Cru sites on the Côte de Nuits, vinified in a year that presented winemakers with extraordinary challenges yet still produced wines of remarkable depth and longevity. Anyone who opens a bottle of this vintage holds in their hands not only a rare Burgundy, but a piece of Burgundy’s contemporary history.