Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Chaignots 2009
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Chevillon's 2009 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots is beginning to drink very well, bursting from the glass with a rich bouquet of raspberries and blackberries mingled with loamy soil, dark chocolate, spices, licorice and grilled game. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a textural attack, ripe acids, a lavish core of concentrated fruit and fine, velvety but not yet melted tannins. This is a ripe, lusty and somewhat wild rendition of the domaine's Chaignots that's approaching early maturity. I'm looking forward to my remaining bottles.
The Domaine was started by Symphonien Chevillon in the late 19th century with a small plot (3/4 acres) which he farmed after finishing his daily work for other vignerons. Symphonien's son took over the Domaine upon his father's death and began to acquire small parcels of Nuits St. Georges premier cru. The Domaine is now 31 acres and is managed by Robert Chevillon, great great nephew of Symphonien.
Domaine Chevillon is often said to be the greatest Domaine in Nuits Saint Georges. With a focused core of Pinot fruit, the wines are always balanced, never over-oaked or over-chapitalized. Chevillon's Burgundies cellar well, but in their youth they show elegant berry and earth perfume, and are best paired with game dishes, roasted birds such as quail and duck, and strong aromatic cheeses.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Inhabiting the bottom end of the northern half of the Côte d’Or, Nuits-St-Georges is a busy, market-driven town and home to many of Burgundy’s negociants. It is also the largest town in the Côte d’Or after Beaune and contributes "nuits" to the name of Côte de Nuits (i.e., the northern half of the Côte d’Or).
The appellation itself is divided into two parts, where in the north it directly borders Vosne-Romanée, the southerly end is the commune of Prémeaux. There are no Grands Crus in this village, though it does have a large number of Premiers Crus.
The best Nuits-St-Georges Pinot Noir are layered with cherry, plum, underbrush and sandalwood. The fruit is sweet, the wine energetic, and the finish long and lush.