2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Village

Once again, winemaker Pierre Vincent has crafted some of the most impeccable, polished whites and reds in Burgundy. There is a lot to like in this range, all the way from accessible offerings to the rarest and most prized Grand Crus. As good as the best reds are, the Vougeraie whites are just as compelling, especially now that the range has been expanded. As always, farming is biodynamic. The reds, especially at the top end, are vinified with a high amount of whole clusters and see considerable new oak during élevage. Balance is the name of the game in these exceptional Burgundies. Most of the wines I tasted were still in barrel, but a few of the entry-level cuvées were bottled in September 2013. Readers who can find the Vougeraie wines should not hesitate, as they are fabulous.

On my last visit to Domaine de la Vougeraie in the mid-2000s, I had to remove my jacket to get comfortable in the main cellar, as the temperature was entirely too warm for November. Back then, wines that began life with considerable promise were frequently too evolved, even tired, by the time they were bottled. Since that time, full temperature control has been installed in the cellars. Winemaker Pierre Vincent, who succeeded Pascal Marchand in 2006, does a pre-fermentation cold soak lasting five to seven days, using cold water to chill the wood vats to about 12 degrees C, as well as a week of further post-fermentation maceration with the temperature no higher than 30 degrees. Vincent is now making more use of whole-cluster vinification, as organic farming is bringing riper stems. He is also using less new oak than previously: about 30% for the village wines, 40% for the premier crus and 50% to 80% for the grand crus. All of the malos finished by July, except for the Nuits Damodes, which was still working at the time of my visit.