Albert Grivault

History of Domaine Albert Grivault

The estate was founded in the late 1870s by Albert Grivault, who was then devoted to both wine and spirits. In 1879, he made the acquisition that would forever shape the house’s history: Clos des Perrières, a walled parcel in the heart of Meursault’s most renowned climat. A man of considerable ambition, he built a 15-hectare estate and proved as generous as he was driven: in 1904, he bequeathed his Meursault-Charmes vines to the Hospices de Beaune, where the Cuvée Albert Grivault is still sold each year at the famous auction.

Albert Grivault died in 1909. His widow took over, followed by their daughters Berthe and Mathilde; through marriage, Mathilde acquired the Bardet name, which became the family name. The years that followed were difficult, marked by the 1929 crash and two world wars. In 1931, Albert’s widow sold one hectare of Clos de Vougeot to Château de la Tour, where a gate dedicated to the Widow Albert Grivault still stands today. Much of the vineyard was then entrusted to sharecroppers. In 1980, Albert’s grandson Michel Bardet took the reins alongside his sisters Marguerite and Denise and put the estate back on track. His children Claire and Henri-Marc joined the business in 2004 and now carry it forward. Marguerite Bardet retired in 2019, the estate’s 140th anniversary year.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Albert Grivault

The vineyard, now reduced to six hectares, is more than eighty percent concentrated in Meursault and planted almost exclusively with Chardonnay. Its centerpiece, Clos des Perrières, covers 94.52 ares on the border between Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. This exceptional terroir, recognized by its own designation within Les Perrières, has clay-silt-sand soils comprising approximately forty-six percent clay, thirty percent silt, and twenty-four percent sand. Like Montrachet, half of it lies on a Jurassic Bathonian outcrop and half on colluvial deposits, accounting for its distinctive character within the climat.

The other Les Perrières parcels, spread across two south-southwest-facing sites, have brown clay and sandy limestone soils that give the wines a remarkable balance of fruit intensity and mineral freshness. Behind the house, hidden from the street, lies Clos du Murger, an enclosed vineyard of approximately two and a half hectares whose name recalls the piles of flat gray stones gathered by winegrowers of the past. It yields both a village-level Meursault from 1.65 hectares and a Bourgogne Blanc from 85 ares planted in the early 2000s; the estate has applied to have the latter reclassified as Meursault. Vineyard work is entrusted to experienced tâcherons, in keeping with a long-established Burgundian tradition.

Winemaking at Domaine Albert Grivault

The approach is deliberately classic and geared toward aging. Grapes are harvested by hand, pressed slowly, then carefully settled before going into barrels. The estate’s entire philosophy centers on its use of oak: few new barrels—around twenty percent for the premiers crus—in favor of seasoned barrels used over five years. The aim is not to impart an oaky character but to allow the wine to breathe slowly and gently, so that each cru can fully express its terroir.

The whites undergo extended aging on the lees and are bottled just before the following harvest, giving them time to develop. The house’s sole red, Pommard Clos Blanc, is fully destemmed to preserve the purity of its fruit and aged for eighteen months in barrels. Michel Bardet himself offers cellaring recommendations that reflect the estate’s ambitions: two years for the Bourgogne, four to five years for the Meursault, eight years for both Les Perrières and the Pommard, and at least ten years for Clos des Perrières.

The Wines of Domaine Albert Grivault

Bourgogne Blanc Clos du Murger: sourced from 85 ares planted between 2000 and 2002 within Clos du Murger, this Chardonnay receives exactly the same care as the higher-ranked crus, making it one of the village’s most serious white Burgundies. Pale gold in color, it has a nose of grilled and toasted notes over a distinctly lemony backdrop. The palate is lively and taut rather than rich, with a slight youthful austerity and a long finish showing a hint of butter. The estate has applied to have this parcel reclassified under the Meursault appellation, which speaks volumes about its potential. Give it two to three years.

Meursault Clos du Murger: an outstanding cuvée from 1.65 hectares of vines in the heart of the village, within the historic walled vineyard adjoining the estate. The remarkably delicate nose combines hazelnut, pear, almond, and honeysuckle, with very subtle hints of vanilla and no heavy oakiness. The palate is enveloping and broad, with a voluptuous richness that coats the mouth, yet always supported by a fine, noble bitterness and underlying tension. Its length is remarkable for a village-level wine, carried not by sheer weight but by that delicate bitterness and subtle pastry notes. A superbly balanced Meursault, both fleshy and taut.

Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières: from two south-southwest-facing parcels on brown clay and sandy limestone, this premier cru is the house’s other great strength. Wines from Les Perrières are traditionally the most substantial of the Meursaults, both round and mineral, and this cuvée is no exception. It is energetic, with fleshy fruit and richness, but also remarkable definition and precision, offering aromas of ripe white fruit, toasted hazelnut, and warm stone. Its saline, taut finish calls for at least eight years in the cellar to reveal its full complexity.

Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Perrières (Monopole): the family’s flagship wine and one of the most fascinating whites in all of Burgundy. This 94-are walled vineyard, held as a monopole for more than a century, is widely regarded as the finest part of Meursault’s best premier cru. Alexis Lichine wrote in his encyclopedia that the wine from the heart of this cru could hold its own against the incomparable Montrachet. The wine stands out for its elegance, a subtly oaked nose of hazelnut, ginger, and flowers, and a saline, taut palate whose generous volume seems to extend endlessly. Its aging potential is legendary: a vertical tasting held in 1999, reaching back to the 1895 vintage, was described as an experience approaching Everest, and a further tasting confirmed its longevity during the estate’s 140th anniversary celebrations in 2019. Cellar for at least ten years.

Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc: the estate’s only red wine, from its only parcel outside Meursault, this premier cru neighboring Epenots has a surprisingly named “White Clos,” despite producing Pinot Noir. Fully destemmed and aged for eighteen months in barrels, it charms with a lovely nose of peony and rose, remarkable balance on the palate, and an immediately appealing richness that defies the appellation’s sometimes rustic reputation. The tannins are fine and well integrated, the red fruit vibrant, and the finish lightly spiced. According to the family, it is at its best after around eight years of cellaring, served with roast poultry, rack of lamb, or seasonal mushrooms.