Winemaker Notes
A lovely, brilliant crimson color. A very earthy Nuits nose with some vanilla bean, too. On the palate, smoky, velvet-textured fruit without any tannin, but acids take their place, so the wine is nicely balanced. Not heavy, but a very elegant Pinot expression at the end.
This wine consists of a blend of fruits harvested from 5 different climates (the Plateaux, Belles Croix, Fleurières, Brûlées, and the Chaliots), which covers a 2 hectare (5 acres) surface area on the Henri Gouges property. All of these parcels are located at the south of Nuits Saint Georges, at the start of the hillside, on deep soils, with a blending of clay, alluvium and limestone gravels. These wines are pure and generous, and need a few years before being tasted, to show their true potential.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The ‘classique’ village-level wine from Gouges has a lovely ripe cherry fruit, pleasant floral notes on the nose, balanced acidity, and an elegant, silky feel on the palate. The wine is made from nine parcels between the center of the village and the border with Premeaux, including Belle Croix, Les Fleurières, Les Brûlées, Les Chaliots, and others, all located down-slope from the premier cru band. They are made in a consciously accessible style.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and balanced, with a core of ripe cherry, this red reveals floral, mineral and spice aromas and flavors. Lingers nicely on the finish, with enough tannins for support. Drink now through 2032. 132 cases imported.
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.