2009 Nuits St Georges

The 2009 Nuits St. Georges is a generous wine. Layers of dark, fragrant fruit build nicely towards the juicy finish. This, too, is a beautiful bottle. The Nuits was bottled in December, 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2019. This is a striking set of 2009s from Gouges. The estate is pursuing a slightly updated style in trying to make the entry-level wines more accessible early on. According to Gregoire Gouges the approach to the higher end wines remains the same, which is to say these remain sturdy Burgundies that benefit immensely from cellaring. The harvest at Gouges began on September 15. The fruit was 100% destemmed. Vinification started with a 3 day cold soak (at only modestly cold temperatures) followed by 10-15 days of cuvaison. The wines were racked after the malos, the lees were removed, and the wines were put back into barrel, where they finished (or were finishing) their elevage. All of the wines were aged in 20% new oak barrels. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Light cherry colour. Very firm and bright fruited. Straightforward and much more open than Gouges wines used to be. Nice finish. Very honest. GV (JR)

Moderately saturated medium red. Slightly reduced aromas of redcurrant, leather, meat and iron, plus a whiff of fresh blood. Silky-sweet and creamy, but with good rather than outstanding intensity. No shortage of spine here, but not really filled in yet. The dusty tannins come late and build slowly.