Domaine Jean Grivot’s 2020 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts is a Pinot Noir from one of the key premiers crus on the slope above the village, a site often discussed in the same breath as nearby grands crus. Importer material places Les Beaux Monts “upslope and adjacent to Échezeaux,” and notes it is separated from Richebourg only by Les Brûlées, with a southerly exposure and marl-and-clay soils. In other words, it’s a pedigree vineyard, and Grivot’s version aims for clarity rather than excess.

The estate, led by Étienne Grivot, farms organically “sans certification,” and is known for careful work in the vines; the domaine even uses horse ploughing in some top holdings, including Beaux Monts, to limit soil compaction. For élevage, the 2020 is aged 15 months in 228-liter barrels with 35% new oak, then two additional months in tank. The importer lists 13% alcohol and a pH of 3.62, and notes a fully destemmed approach with spontaneous fermentation and malolactic fermentation in barrel.

In bottle, the strongest published assessment located comes from The Burgundy Report, which calls the 2020 Les Beaux Monts “simply excellent”—the kind of clear endorsement that matters with a producer as widely followed as Grivot. The same review highlights “a vibration of energy here, growing intensity too,” and finishes on what it describes as “a piercing pure line of finishing fruit” (The Burgundy Report). That combination—energy, building intensity, and a clean finishing line—captures the wine’s apparent intent: concentration without heaviness.

Vintage context also supports that profile. The Burgundy Report notes production at Grivot was down about 40% in 2020 due to dryness, yet Mathilde Grivot still described the wines as “remarkable,” emphasizing “freshness, juiciness, and even drinkability,” along with “saline wines and the super definition of the terroirs” (The Burgundy Report). For buyers seeking a serious Vosne premier cru that prioritizes drive and definition, this looks like a particularly strong edition.