History of the Gros Family

As with many Burgundy families, the history and ramifications of the Gros family are a fascinating one. It all began with Alphonse Gros, born in Burgundy in 1804, who founded his Domaine in Vosne-Romanée in 1830. His son was forward-looking in many ways: as early as the mid-19th century he was offering estate-bottled wines, very unusual at a time when most wines were bottled by merchant houses. Two further generations expanded and enlarged the family estate, until it was eventually divided among the four children of Louis Gros. The division also encompassed the top sites Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Grands Échezeaux and Échezeaux.

Gustave and Colette pooled their inheritance and founded Domaine Gros Frère & Soeur. François and his brother Jean initially worked together as well, but later Domaine Anne Gros emerged under François Gros’s daughter. In 1995 Jean Gros handed over his share to his daughter Anne-Françoise and his eldest son Michel Gros, who founded the estates Domaine A-F Gros and Domaine Michel Gros. The middle son of Jean, Bernard, took over the estate of his uncle and aunt — Domaine Gros Frère & Soeur. Since 2010 the Domaine, now in its 7th generation, has been run by the sibling pair Vincent and Elodie and modernised in many respects.

The Wines

The range of different quality levels at the highest level offered by Domaine Gros Frère & Soeur has convinced us for a long time. Here you’ll find all the wines at a glance:

Blanc

• Chardonnay
• Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

Rouge

• Pinot Noir
• Bourgogne
• Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
• Chemin des Moines de Vergy

Village AC

• Vosne-Romanée AC
• Clos de la Fontaine (since 2022)

Premier Cru Sites

• Les Chaumes

Grand Cru Sites

• Clos de Vougeot
• Echézeaux
• Grands Echézeaux (until 2021)
• Richebourg

Owing to recent reallocations within the wider Gros family, new divisions of sites have occurred. From the 2022 vintage, the shares of the Grands Échezeaux site moved to Anne Gros. In return, the interesting monopole Clos de la Fontaine is, since this vintage, no longer farmed by A-F Gros but by Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur.

Tasting Profile of Domaine Gros Frère & Soeur

Burgundy with juiciness and class.

The Domaine’s wines are structured, delicately fruited, with a wonderfully soft yet marked structure. Burgundy with juiciness and class. The Grands Crus in particular show clearly the elegance and silkiness these wines possess. A fascinatingly juicy fruit runs through the entire portfolio.

In the 2023 vintage the wines of the Domaine again show much sweet, juicy fruit. Supported by a well-supporting tannic framework, they promise hedonistic drinking pleasure. The new “Clos de la Fontaine” site, added with the 2022 vintage, is an exciting addition that fascinates with violet fragrance, wild strawberry and gentle leatheriness.

Farming and Élevage

In total the Domaine farms 23 hectares, only a very small part of which is in Vosne-Romanée. Particularly from the Grand Cru sites, very small quantities are vinified. Since taking over, Vincent Gros has avoided the use of any herbicides and has had the soils in the vineyards loosened again with ploughs. The fruit is harvested very late and ripe and is destemmed. The Domaine is highly progressive and uses, in addition to the classic methods of hand sorting, an optical sorting table and a destemmer to ensure that only perfect grape material is used.

The wines from the Grand Cru sites are aged in 100% new oak and those from the Premier Cru sites in 50% new oak.

The three quality levels of Burgundy from this house could already be tasted at our MasterClass: Burgundy – 3 Steps to Heaven.

Further insights into the Domaine can also be found on the new website of Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur.