Winemaker Notes
Located on the south slope of the village, the domain'es two parcels are assembled during the vinification. This Premier Cru heads uphill from about 800 feet above sea level. One finds a great complexity of soil, from the flush rock to the scree coming down from the top. Vines are an average age of about 50 years. This Premier Cru is a powerful and well-structured wine with good aging potentia.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Nuits Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers felt a little reduced on the nose -- though that is common with infant Gouges. At the moment it compromises the wine's definition, which is a pity as there is attractive red cherry and redcurrant fruit waiting to surface. That will be addressed with bottle age. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, some chewiness that will dissipate with time and good depth. It feels a little chunky and uncouth towards the finish although it does improve and gain more cohesion in the glass. Time should meliorate this wine, so afford it 3-4 years in bottle. Tasted September 2016.
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.