Winemaker Notes
This Premier Cru is not the most characteristic of the Nuits Saint Georges appellation. As its name indicates, it presents great roundness and smoothness, reminiscent of wines closer to Vosne Romanée. It is characterized by a marked blackcurrant nose, which is fruity exuberant. Its suppleness does not prevent it from having great depth, it is in fact a powerful wine, with excellent aging potential. It will pair nicely with roasted red meats, small game, or good poultry such as a Bresse or free-range chicken. It will support many cheeses, as long as they are not too pungent.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Toasty oak and new leather frames the enticing aromas of cherry and raspberry in this supple red. Floral, mineral and tobacco elements add depth as this cruises to a long finish. Shows terrific balance and energy. Best from 2024 through 2040.
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James Suckling
Some earthy aromas here with a gentle, gunflint edge, as well as wild herbs and plenty of red cherries. The palate has the weight and width of Nuits with a very succulent, juicy red-cherry core and good drive on the finish.
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.