Sandwiched between Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Méo-Camuzet in the village of Vosne-Romanée, Gros Frère et Soeur is a name that, for us, inspires the same level of awe as its two famous neighbors. Take a quick inventory of the Gros Frère vineyard holdings, which include a ‘murderer’s row’ of Grand Crus—“Richebourg,” “Grands Échezeaux,” and a prime section of “Clos Vougeot”—and you can tell immediately that this is a family to be reckoned with.
Over the last few months, we’ve had the pleasure of offering some of Gros Frère’s top red wines, and this is the latest in this blue-chip series. The 2013 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru “Musigni,” is another bold and supremely sexy expression of Red Burgundy from the primest of prime real estate—and it comes to you at a quite reasonable price considering its noble lineage. This is the pinnacle of cellar-worthy red Burgundy, profoundly deep and long, and, as is usually the case with wines of this level, very small quantities are made.
When I put my nose in the glass of the 2013 Clos Vougeot “Musigni,” I swooned: This is heady, complex stuff, and über-classic in its profile. In the glass, it’s a deep, reflective ruby extending to the rim, with aromas of black cherry, wild berries, forest floor, black tea, preserved meat, humid earth and crushed stone. Nearly full-bodied, the wine’s dense flavors coat the palate and continue through the aromatic, rosy finish. Obviously this needs about an hour in a decanter if you’re opening one now, but be sure to lay some of this wine down. I think it’ll really start peaking around 2022-25, and continue to perform admirably well beyond that. It is elite-level Burgundy without the “you can buy a car for that!” price. Enjoy a bottle with the attached recipe for duck roulade. That’s definitely my idea of a good time. Cheers!