J. Roty Griottes Chambertin 2014

The 2014 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very refined nose not a million miles away from the Mazis-Chambertin, perhaps with even more delineation and mineralité. The palate is very refined with ripe tannin, lively and energetic; it is blessed with super-fine tannin and immense purity of fruit, as well as sensual and captivating on the finish. This is just a divine Griotte – divine. I expect it to ultimately rest at the top of my banded score. Returning to Domaine Joseph Roty two weeks after the untimely passing of Philippe Roty at 46 after a three year battle against cancer, as you would expect, one is filled with emotion far beyond that of appraising a new vintage. However, regretfully I have been in this same situation two or three times before and found that after obligatory condolences, there is always a desire to get back to some kind of normality and restore that sense of life going on. The blood stops running but the sap will always keep rising. And in a sense, Philippe is a strong spirit, a guiding influence at the domaine. Chatting with Pierre-Jean Roty, he told me how his brother had never relinquished until the very end, constantly asking him about the 2015 vintage. Photos and videos of the vines were bought in to his hospital and up until his last visits, he was still inspecting the vines and doing his best to continue as if he didn’t have a matter of days left on this Earth.