Winemaker Notes
The lieu-dit "Aux Thorey" (or "Les Thorey") sits in the north beside "Chaignots" en route to Vosne-Romanée. Domaine de Montille cultivates 0.73 hectare of vines there in the part of the cru that is closest to Vosne-Romanée and on soils composed mostly of limestone and marl.
Found at the foot of the hill, again in the northern section near Vosne-Romanée, the ressemblance of this wine to one from Vosne is striking. Aromatic to the point of almost being perfumed with its floral notes, this tender and succulent wine has a lithe frame that opens up relatively early (around three to five years).
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Aux Thoreys is a relatively cool site close the town of Nuits-St-Georges that is influenced by the cool breezes wafting down from the Hautes Côtes. As such, it often produces elegant, refined Pinots with considerable grace and charm. This 60% whole bunch-fermented red from Brian Sieve is a case in point, with savoury rose petal and wild herb aromas, sculpted tannins and an earthy undertone.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of peonies, orange rind, wild berries and sweet soil tones introduce the 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey, a medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant wine that's beautifully balanced and structurally refined. This is very promising.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.