Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint Georges 1er: 2007 & 1990 Henri Gouges; 2006 Faiveley Les Porets & 1993 Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges

As I have alluded elsewhere, Nuits-Saint-Georges tend to be unfairly overlooked. Perhaps this is because no grand cru is to be found within this commune, or that the wines are perceived to be sandy, stern and uninteresting. This is, of course, wonderful for those who appreciate Nuits-Saint-Georges for what it is as prices are still sane and accessible although I have noticed them creeping up a little over the last few years. For me, Domaine Henri Gouges is the undisputed doyen of Nuits-Saint-Georges but, as this themed line-up revealed, there are plenty of excellent stuff from other producers. Saint-Pierre of Singapore lived up to its new-found Michelin star on this evening of 12 March 2019 where Emmanuel Stroobant was given carte blanche to pair the wines to excellent effect.

2007 Egly-Ouriet Millesime Brut Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely yeasty depth on the nose, leading to a lively palate of zesty lime and clear citrus infused with bright minerals, bathed in very fine bubbles that conferred a certain deftness and dry gentle intensity, finishing with lingering sweet citrusy intensity. Quite excellent.

2004 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges La Perriere 1er, courtesy of LF. Displaying a dull golden lustre, this unique pinot blanc (a mutated form of pinot noir) proffers an unusual complex of smouldering ember, lifted orange peel, light yellow citrus and marmalade on the nose, rather difficult to place as it is neither chardonnay nor anything else. Equally engaging on the palate where its lithe acidity and excellent presence further enhances the superb intensity of complex tangerines, a little dryish in tone but finishing with superb length and glowing persistence. At its best. Excellent.

1993 Domaine Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges, courtesy of Robert K. In spite of its 26 years, this village, showing a beautifully evolved red, still exudes a deep bouquet of red fruits and cherries with a distinct tone of tangerines, remarkably full and supple with superb freshness, imbued with very lovely acidity and juicy svelte tannins as it evolved with further notes of raspberries tinged with kumquat, adding further dimension and depth. Truly wonderful, easily standing its ground against the line-up. Outstanding.

2002 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er, courtesy of LF. Deep vermillion, exuding a sharp earthy pungency with a superb lift of deep red fruits and currants. Medium-bodied and fleshy, layered with lovely depth of lithe tangerines with a distinct ferrous streak on a bed of velvety tannins, displaying excellent purity. Superb.

2006 Domaine Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Porets-Saint-Georges 1er, courtesy of Vic. Good colour, flushed with deep aromas of ripe dark berries, red currants and dark plums. Open and fleshy with a certain warmth and forwardness, displaying a very precise even tone of fruit and linearity that I find to be the hallmark of Faiveley’s Nuits-Saint-Georges, finishing with classic earthy minerals. Very fine.

2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint Georges 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Beautifully evolved with a stealthy earthy pungency, proffering gentle dark currants on a palate suffused with sublime acidity and controlled intensity of fruit, very beautifully proportioned, finishing with a brief ferrous twinkle. Excellent.

1990 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint Georges 1er. Ex-domaine. Somewhat opague with a marked salinity at first when the bottle was first popped. Things were totally different after 90 minutes of aeration, turning deep vermillion with a deep controlled bouquet of glorious red fruits, beautifully open, poised with fleshy delicate elegance with a rich velvety tone of red cherries and currants that stretched out with glorious intensity throughout its gentle length, oozing with gentle sweetness at the side. Reminds me of a similar bottle tasted at the domaine’s cellars in October 2018, courtesy of Gregory Gouges. This is Les Saint Georges at its very best.