Ric re-visits Domaine Henri Gouges

I had the real pleasure of visiting Domaine Henri Gouges again on the morning of 24 September 2024 after six years, where it was really good to meet up again with the highly engaging and knowledgeable Ms Viviana Jaimon. Still located at 7 Rue du Moulin at the heart of the Nuits-Saint-Georges township, the domaine now sports a brand-new reception area where tastings are conducted. Founded in 1919 by Henri, himself a highly influential person in Burgundy at that time, this domaine only features the wines of Nuits-Saint-Georges, making it truly the doyen of this commune. With holdings of only 14 hectares, demand far outstrips supply. This will be particularly acute for the 2024 vintage, where excessive rainfall has caused severe mildew, resulting in very low yields way below 50%. We were delighted to meet Gregory Gouges again (its fourth-generation co-proprietor along with his cousin Antoine Gouges) in the chai where he was busy supervising the morning’s harvest. In spite of his packed schedule, Gregory took the time to show us the work that was going on. The very low yield this year hit us when we saw only one vat of its Vaucrains 1er and one vat of its Les Saint-Georges 1er. The doors of several empty vats were wide open, whereas they would normally have been full. Multiple crates of grapes badly damaged by mildew sat in the open. You could see the pain in Gregory’s eyes when he revealed that there would not be any pinot blanc for 2024 apart from a very tiny production of its La Perrière 1er.

After touring the cellars and viewing its library stock (with bottles down to the 1920s), we proceeded back to its tasting room where Viviana had lined up its entire range of reds and whites, along with generous plates of charcuterie. The maison has acquired grapes from Les Cailles 1er, a choice plot nicely sandwiched between Les Saint-Georges 1er and its own monopole of Clos Des Porrets St-Georges 1er to supplement its range and output. This is a real masterstroke, for this wine has turned out to be an undiscovered gem. Elsewhere, I find the reds of Henri Gouges to be consistently elegant without calling attention to itself, always true to their terroir without being flashy. Even the Clos des Porrets St-Georges 1er monopole and Pruliers 1er showed well, only that they tend to be overshadowed by the excellent Vaucrains 1er and Les Saint-Georges 1er, the latter being truly its flagship. Another real discovery is the range of whites unique to Henri Gouges, for they are made with the mutant grape pinot blanc, whose extraordinary character on the nose and palate is difficult to place but they are truly excellent. This is the first time I’ve tasted the Les Crots Blanc and the Clos des Porrets St-Georges 1er Blanc. Who needs overpriced Bordeaux whites? A huge and heartfelt merci beaucoup, Gregory, for your friendship and for spending time with us in spite of the difficulties with the harvest, and to you too Viviana, for fussing about with your superb hospitality. When wine can stir the senses and emotion between people of different cultures and background as it did during our visit, you know you are experiencing the distilled essence of burgundy. We shall miss you. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we meet again.

2021 Maison Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er. Classic pinot tint. Unexpectedly superb on the nose where rose petals dominate with a truly beguiling fragrance, tinged with a dash of paraffin. Doesn’t disappoint on the medium palate as well, very well-balanced with a lovely supple intensity that taper to a glowing finish. Non-domaine, but a true gem.

2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges Monopole 1er. Rather shut on the nose, proffering only distant red hues though the medium palate is very subtly layered with fine presence of fruit that exude a distinct minerally shine, morphing together very well into a seamless entity. Modest finish.

2019 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er. Good colour. A bit of early development of red fruits is evident on the nose. The fleshy medium-weight palate is imbued with supple red fruits tinged with overtones of ash and pebbles, boasting good length, excellent freshness and purity of fruit.

2018 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er. Plummy red with some bricking. Medium-weight. Generous presence of supple fruit that show excellent ripeness and purity, rounded with velvety tannins that express juicy succulence. Very well balanced. Good finish.

2018 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er. Superb ruby. Appreciably deeper bouquet of red fruits and plums. Very generously imbued, just a little darkish from its deep but subtle vein of black fruits and currants, displaying elegant intensity. Very impeccably proportioned and balanced, finishing well with palpable sophistication and pedigree. Outstanding. Since the 2019 vintage, the label of this flagship has reverted to its original design in honour of the wine’s centenary.

2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Pinot Blanc Bourgogne. Golden greenish. Clean bouquet of leafy tones and green fruits, carrying well on to the medium palate with excellent clarity and freshness, displaying clean precision and understated intensity with a slightly “wet” finish.

2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Crots Blanc. Golden green. Quite effusive in chromatic white tones with a dash of mint. Full, fleshy medium presence, showing great balance and detail. Finishes with lingering persistence.

2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges 1er Monopole. Golden yellow. Effusive in yellow citrus and grapefruit. Very clean and lithe, superbly integrated with great length and understated verve with a faint overtone of gasoline fume.

2022 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges La Perrière 1er. Highly luminous, exuding subtle white tones. Medium weight, Superbly balanced with great harmony and sophistication, boasting cool glacial tones and fine clarity from its unobtrusive minerals. Utterly seamless. Outstanding.