Winemaker Notes
With a ruby-red hue and purple tints, on the nose this wine reveals strong aromas of red fruit and a touch of violet. It is well-balanced and fresh on the palate. Overall elegant with good structure, the tannins are perceptible, but silky. You will be surprised by the sensation this wine gives of biting into fruit, which absolutely reveals the qualities of Pinot Noir.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Alex Gambal is increasingly focussed on domaine wines, which is to our benefit when they are as good as this Nuits from a premier cru located on steep clay and limestone slopes next to the Clos de l'Arlot. One-third new wood and 40% whole bunches add complexity to this textured, spicy, finely balanced red that finishes on a chalky note.
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.