2006 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru

A miscommunication (it happens) meant that Antoine Gouges was not expecting me to call when I did. Whilst he hastily gathered samples, it gave me time to appreciate their new reception.

“I am quite happy with the 2023 vintage. It was difficult at the beginning—very rainy in March and April. Then June and July were quite dry and warm, August was like November, then there were two very dry and sunny weeks that arrived just before harvest, which helped ripen the fruit. We started picking on September 5 in Les Perrières. We picked over six days. The yield is quite generous, between 40 and 45 hl/ha, the maximum we are able to do with our old vines. We had to do a bit of sorting, but after good de-budding, we did not have to do a lot of green harvesting—just a few bunches when the vines were very full. All the malos were finished by December, and we did not have a problem finishing the sugar. We had good maturity, around 13%. We bottled the whites early in July along with some of the reds. A good point about this vintage is that we had volume with good concentration.”

It took me a few minutes to locate Antoine Gouges in the maze of outbuildings in Nuits Saint-Georges. It’s one of those places that looks deceptively small from the front entrance into the original family maison. Behind lies a tasting room for visitors, the winery, various outbuildings and warehouses. Once found, a little flustered since he thought our rendezvous was 30 minutes later, we settled down to taste through their 2022s. “The flowering was good,” Gouges explains. “It was hot and dry, but we suffered hail twice with a lot of rain in late June when we lost 30% of the crop. The vineyard of Fontaine Jacquinot was wiped out. [Interestingly, an hour before, Denis Chevillon had told me that he had only lost around 10% of the crop in those areas, though hail can be so localized that it can mean a difference between one row and the next.] The rain helped with the maturity of the grapes. Picking was from August 30, with the whites and the reds beginning on September 1 and 2, cropped at 27hL/ha [a figure noticeably smaller than others]. Everything was de-stemmed. We had an early malo, probably because we use low SO2 during vinification, and the cellars are not that cold at this time of the year.” This was a good set of wines from Gouges, capped by two wondrous Nuits Saint-Georges from Les Vaucrains and Les Saint-Georges. The entry-level regional and village crus were mostly bottled after the 2023 harvest. Occasionally, I wonder whether that additional winter in barrel might give them a little more stuffing? Otherwise, those who appreciate the Gouges style of winemaking, which I feel has been fine-tuned in the last five or six years, will find much to like in 2022.

A miscommunication (it happens) meant that Antoine Gouges was not expecting me to call when I did. Whilst he hastily gathered samples, it gave me time to appreciate their new reception.

“I am quite happy with the 2023 vintage. It was difficult at the beginning—very rainy in March and April. Then June and July were quite dry and warm, August was like November, then there were two very dry and sunny weeks that arrived just before harvest, which helped ripen the fruit. We started picking on September 5 in Les Perrières. We picked over six days. The yield is quite generous, between 40 and 45 hl/ha, the maximum we are able to do with our old vines. We had to do a bit of sorting, but after good de-budding, we did not have to do a lot of green harvesting—just a few bunches when the vines were very full. All the malos were finished by December, and we did not have a problem finishing the sugar. We had good maturity, around 13%. We bottled the whites early in July along with some of the reds. A good point about this vintage is that we had volume with good concentration.”

“It was complicated due to the April frost, though we did not have too much damage,” Antoine Gouges tells me. “We lost 15-20% as we prune very late, the second [pruning] at the beginning of March. I think this had an impact. It was a cooler season than normal. We de-leafed to improve aeration as there was a big oïdium pressure at the end of the season on the leaves, which is uncommon. We started picking on 17 September with the whites and finished on 23 September, with the average yield around 25hl/ha - not so bad and better than in 2020. The grapes were good quality with just a bit of sorting. I think it’s a more classical vintage with nice concentration and energy. I knew the vintage was more delicate, so we were soft with the punch-downs and pumping over, working by infusion in order not to extract big tannins, focusing more on the finesse and the silkiness. We used a low amount of SO2, less than half what we once used. We decided to keep the freshness, so we bottled many of the wines in August.”

Antoine Gouges is taking an increasingly prominent role at the Domaine alongside Grégory Gouges. As usual, we tasted in the front room under the watchful eye of Henri Gouges looking down from an old black and white photograph. “We had a very long flowering that took about three weeks,” Gouges explained. “It was wet and cool, so the maturity was heterogeneous. The summer was very hot and so we had a bit of grillure, but not too much. At the last minute we brought the date forward from 21 September to 14 September. The phenolic maturity varied with some brown seeds and others green, so we asked ourselves if we could put them in the tank. After the vinification we did not find any hard tannins. This is something that we work hard on these days. The alcoholic fermentation went well with no stuck ferments, although there was some in 2020. We used to rack after malolactic but now we allow the wine to mature on the lees if they are showing well, in order to feed the yeasts and conduct a shorter élevage, also to retain freshness and fruit. We ended up with average alcohol levels around 13.5°, the highest around 14.2°. The average yields is 25-30hl/ha but the Les Saint-Georges was just 15hl/ha. At the moment, the wines that are not bottled are in stainless steel and they will be bottled starting from November, though nothing is confirmed yet. But certainly [they will be bottled] by the end of the year since they do not need a long élevage. I think the 2019s are more classical in style compared to the 2018s. They have more energy and I like the aromatics.”

In 2019 the Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges reigns supreme and highlighted some of their other Premier Crus that miss a bit of chutzpah or, in the case of the normally dependable Les Vaucrains, exhibited just a touch of volatility on the nose. That said, the Les Pruliers shone brightly with exquisite pure red fruit. Hopefully the Vaucrains will take a few notes and address its issues by the time of bottling.

Antoine Gouges is taking an increasingly prominent role at the Domaine alongside Grégory Gouges. As usual, we tasted in the front room under the watchful eye of Henri Gouges looking down from an old black and white photograph. “We had a very long flowering that took about three weeks,” Gouges explained. “It was wet and cool, so the maturity was heterogeneous. The summer was very hot and so we had a bit of grillure, but not too much. At the last minute we brought the date forward from 21 September to 14 September. The phenolic maturity varied with some brown seeds and others green, so we asked ourselves if we could put them in the tank. After the vinification we did not find any hard tannins. This is something that we work hard on these days. The alcoholic fermentation went well with no stuck ferments, although there was some in 2020. We used to rack after malolactic but now we allow the wine to mature on the lees if they are showing well, in order to feed the yeasts and conduct a shorter élevage, also to retain freshness and fruit. We ended up with average alcohol levels around 13.5°, the highest around 14.2°. The average yields is 25-30hl/ha but the Les Saint-Georges was just 15hl/ha. At the moment, the wines that are not bottled are in stainless steel and they will be bottled starting from November, though nothing is confirmed yet. But certainly [they will be bottled] by the end of the year since they do not need a long élevage. I think the 2019s are more classical in style compared to the 2018s. They have more energy and I like the aromatics.”

In 2019 the Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges reigns supreme and highlighted some of their other Premier Crus that miss a bit of chutzpah or, in the case of the normally dependable Les Vaucrains, exhibited just a touch of volatility on the nose. That said, the Les Pruliers shone brightly with exquisite pure red fruit. Hopefully the Vaucrains will take a few notes and address its issues by the time of bottling.

This year Antoine Gouges was on hand to show me through Domaine Henri Gouge's 2018s. “We started picking the whites on 3 September and the reds on 8 September and finished in five and a half days. We tried to pick fast with a big team. The alcohol levels are between 13.5% and 14.0% apart from Vaucrains and Les Saint-Georges that are a bit higher, around 14.3%. We did the bottling just before harvest to keep the freshness of the fruit. We no longer rack after malolactic and leave the wines on the lees since 2018. The malic acid was quite low so the malolactic was finished in December. I think we will end up drinking the 2017 before the 2018. I like the balance of the vintage and the maturity of the tannins. They should age very well and they are not heavy to me."

This domaine requires no introduction, since my article from October covers just about everything you need to know about the history, the vineyard, the wines and the secret to a long life. So let’s get down to business. Grégory Gouges guided me through their 2017s and summarized the growing season.

“It was a very fast growing season. Flowering was fine, and that compensated for the previous year because the vines had a lot of pent-up energy. There was no disease, no mildew or oïdium, so we used one-third of the organic sprays compared to the previous year. We started the harvest on September 12 for the whites and then we started picking Clos des Porrets, finishing around September 16 or 17. That month saw fine weather and the yields were a little more important compared to a normal year. I try not to wait too long because I don’t like high alcohol, but in 2017, with a bigger yield at around 40hl/ha, it was important to wait a few days longer in order to obtain phenolic ripeness. The alcohol is between 12.5° and 13.0° with no chaptalisation, the pH levels around 3.40. It’s a fresh vintage with good acidity and accessibility. In my opinion, it’s not a good idea to wait a long time before bottling [echoing similar sentiments from Pierre Duroché and Louis-Michel Liger-Belair]. The 2017s do not have the structure of, say, the 2015s. The malolactic finished early and this makes me cautious about the stability of the wine. Since the whites went very quickly, we bottled those before the harvest, and I might also bottle the reds early.”

It is always interesting to compare Domaine Henri Gouges with Domaine Robert Chevillon, whose winery is located just around the corner. Gouges’s wines tend to be earthier and more brittle in texture, at least in the flush of youth. Chevillon’s wines are often sensual and attractive from the start, whereas Gouges’s wines are more mercurial and demand longer bottle age. After frost devastated much of Gouges’s vines in 2016, at least this year there is not just a full complement of wine but a new addition that comes from their Premier Cru “Les Crots.” Gouges opted to bottle the six barrels separately instead of blending it into the Village Cru, and mighty fine it is, too. Since he dislikes the name of the vineyard, he has christened it “Cuvée Fontaine Jacquinots,” which does sound more attractive.

I tasted this year with winemaker Gregory Gouges’ cousin Antoine, who is in charge of the vineyards at the family domain. As the south side of Nuits-Saint-Georges was hit hard by frost—with mildew resulting in further losses—the estate produced just 16 hectoliters per hectare on average in 2016, with their top holdings in Les Vaucrains and Les Saint-Georges the most seriously affected. The estate began harvesting on September 26, with what Antoine described as “good phenolic maturity, between 12% and 12.5%.” There was almost no chaptalization here, except for the Bourgogne Rouge. Antoine told me that he kept eliminating the secondary buds through the summer to preserve overall ripeness levels. All of the fruit was destemmed in 2016. “It was hard even to carry out experiments in such a short year,” Antoine explained.

Gregory Gouges, who took over responsibility for making his family’s wines in 2007, described the 2015 season as “a bit particular” (the word he used, particulier, can also mean peculiar). “Two thousand fourteen was a classic year while 2015 was very hot and very dry,” he explained. “We’ve always had grass between the rows, and it competes with the vines for water. That’s an advantage nine years out of ten, but not in 2015.” Gouges added that the berries were very small and were ripening quickly in early August, and that the family decided to pick at the beginning of September to avoid surmaturité (the Gouges prefer fresh, elegant Pinots). The harvest took place during the first five days of the month, which was atypically early for the Côte de Nuits, and the estate-wide yield was just 24 hectoliters per hectare. Grape sugars ranged from 12.6% to 13.5%, and no chaptalization was done. The vinifications went quickly and, with little malic acidity in the grapes and the cellars not particularly cold during the winter of ‘15/’16, the malos finished by February. At the time of my November visit, Gouges planned to bottle a few of his 2015s in December, two or three months earlier than usual.

These wines indeed come off as classic early-picked ‘15s with restraint, and yet there's nothing underripe about them. Gouges destemmed all of his fruit, noting that “stems provide good tannic support for certain appellations but Nuits-Saint-Georges doesn’t need them. They would make the wines heavier and dry the tannins. Of course, the advantage to vinifying with stems is that they can absorb a bit of alcohol.” Gouges’s early assessment of the 2015s is that they show “more distinction of terroir than the 2009s and a more open structure than the 2005s.” He's not sure if they will shut down toward the bottling but believes that "they will have a certain facility to be drunk young." But he noted that "our vines always age," and he's confident about the cellaring potential of the '15s.

Gregory Gouges describes his family 2014s as “very classic, traditional wines I was afraid of the reductive side of the vintage just after the bottling but now the wines are starting to open They still need time but they could be served in restaurants tomorrow” Sugar levels at harvest were sufficiently high that Gouges did not chaptalize any of his wines in 2014 (the finished wines are mostly in the high 12s)

Gregory Gouges describes his family 2014s as “very classic, traditional wines. I was afraid of the reductive side of the vintage just after the bottling but now the wines are starting to open. They still need time but they could be served in restaurants tomorrow.” Sugar levels at harvest were sufficiently high that Gouges did not chaptalize any of his wines in 2014 (the finished wines are mostly in the high 12s).

“The 2014 growing season was more classic than 2013 in terms of climate, the timing of the flowering and the harvest,” said Gregory Gouges in November. “And we had more even phenolic ripeness in 2014. We eliminated 15% to 20% of our grapes in 2013 but only 3% or 4% in 2014. ” The '14s are between 12. 5% and 13% alcohol with no chaptalization. “We didn’t need to fatten the wines by prolonging the fermentations by adding sugar,” Gouges explained, adding that the fermentation temperatures got high enough (32 degrees C) on their own. Gouges told me the family had one village parcel near a fruit orchard that was afflicted by the Drosophila suzukii but that it was no problem to eliminate the affected fruit.

The estate made an average of 34 hectoliters per hectare in 2014. All of the 2014s were racked in cuves after the spring malos, then returned to oak (20% new across the board here). By November the village wines were in tank, awaiting bottling in early December—a bit earlier than usual as Gouges did not want to “re-tighten” the wines with a longer élevage.

Antoine Gouges is taking an increasingly prominent role at the Domaine alongside Grégory Gouges. As usual, we tasted in the front room under the watchful eye of Henri Gouges looking down from an old black and white photograph. “We had a very long flowering that took about three weeks,” Gouges explained. “It was wet and cool, so the maturity was heterogeneous. The summer was very hot and so we had a bit of grillure, but not too much. At the last minute we brought the date forward from 21 September to 14 September. The phenolic maturity varied with some brown seeds and others green, so we asked ourselves if we could put them in the tank. After the vinification we did not find any hard tannins. This is something that we work hard on these days. The alcoholic fermentation went well with no stuck ferments, although there was some in 2020. We used to rack after malolactic but now we allow the wine to mature on the lees if they are showing well, in order to feed the yeasts and conduct a shorter élevage, also to retain freshness and fruit. We ended up with average alcohol levels around 13.5°, the highest around 14.2°. The average yields is 25-30hl/ha but the Les Saint-Georges was just 15hl/ha. At the moment, the wines that are not bottled are in stainless steel and they will be bottled starting from November, though nothing is confirmed yet. But certainly [they will be bottled] by the end of the year since they do not need a long élevage. I think the 2019s are more classical in style compared to the 2018s. They have more energy and I like the aromatics.”

In 2019 the Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges reigns supreme and highlighted some of their other Premier Crus that miss a bit of chutzpah or, in the case of the normally dependable Les Vaucrains, exhibited just a touch of volatility on the nose. That said, the Les Pruliers shone brightly with exquisite pure red fruit. Hopefully the Vaucrains will take a few notes and address its issues by the time of bottling.

After eliminating 15% to 20% of the grapes in 2013, including more botrytis-affected than underripe berries, this family domain produced 22 to 25 hectoliters per hectare in most of its vineyards, or about the same as in 2012. Strict selection was necessary, said Gregory Gouges, "because we couldn't afford to make weak wines given today's high Burgundy prices." The Gouges started harvesting on October 5 with "correct phenolic material"; grape sugars were in the 11.5% to 12% range for the crus and the wines were chaptalized a half-degree. The 2013s were totally destemmed, noted Gouges, "as we already have enough structure." Gouges finds the 2013s to be approachable in barrel, like the 2010s were at a similiar stage, but he's not sure if the new crop of wines will shut down after bottling like the '10s did.

"Two thousand twelve was a beautiful harvest requiring very little sorting," said Gregory Gouges, "and the wines were easy to make. They have a lot of body and structure." Gouges emphasized that "all of our vintages are for long aging," adding that the 2012s would most likely be for drinking after the 2011s and 2013s. In fact, he believes the 2012s are in the process of shutting down in bottle. Yields were very low in 2012 and potential alcohol levels ranged as high as 13%.

Domaine Gouges had clean, ripe grapes with high-quality tannins in 2012 and thus the team could do a longer vinification, noted Gregory Gouges. There were more punchdowns and pumpovers, although he noted that the estate's pneumatic pigeage system in their new cuverie now allows them to press down the entire cap without breaking seeds and stems. Gouges carried out a longer post-fermentation maceration than usual, leaving the wine at 32 or 33 degrees C for five days. Thanks to the tiny crop levels, potential alcohols ranged from 12.3% to 13% and none of the 2012s were chaptalized. Incidentally, Gouges told me that the estate's 2010s are tight and reduced at present and not at all accessible. "Forget them now," he said.

This is a fabulous set of wines from Gouges. Overall yields are down 20-25%, which is not too bad within the context of the year. Gregoire Gouges gave the 2012s about 15 days on the skins and kept temperatures high with the objective of giving the wines as much sweetness and roundness as possible. As always, the wines here are made with 100% destemmed fruit. Like many producers, Gouges added that the fruit required minimal sorting. At the time of my visit the Bourgogne Rouge and the two whites had been bottled. The rest of the Pinots were racked from barrel into steel and back into barrel, where the wines were aging on their fine lees when I saw them. Bottling was scheduled for January-March 2014.

Gregory Gouges described 2011 as a very early harvest, which of course it was, yet the domain's starting date of September 7 was later than that of many of its neighbors."We picked at the end of the vegetative cycle but did not wait until the tannins got overripe," said Gouges, adding that the family waited longer for skin ripeness in 2010 and got some high pHs as a result."Gouges believes the 2011s have a balance similar to the 2007s, and will also offer early accessibility.The wines had been racked in the spring following the malos, then returned to barrel.

I was a bit surprised by the wines I tasted with Grégoire Gouges. Over the last few years Gouges has worked to make some of his entry-level offerings more accessible, but I noted that quality across the board in the 2010s, which is quite out of character not only for the house, but for virtually all 2010s from important sites. Of course the wines are still mostly in barrel. It will be interesting to see the direction the 2010s take over the next year. The 2010s were made from 100% destemmed fruit and aged in French oak barrels, 20% new. The malos were slow in 2010, and finished in June. The wines were racked for the first time in August. Except as noted, I tasted the 2010s from barrel. Gouges made the decision to move some of his wines into tank in order to preserve freshness.

"More chewy and ample than the 2008s," said Gregory Gouges about his estate's young 2010s, "with enough phenolic maturity." Only one cuvee of village wine needed chaptalization, he added. In recent years, the Gouges family has been working more by gravity and has eliminated pumping of the must at harvest-time. With their totally adjustable pneumatic press, they're able to destem 100% without crushing the seeds or skins. Being able to vinify with a high percentage of whole grapes has given us suppler tannins, noted Gregory. "We still make structured wines, but now they're a bit less forbidding." The 2010s had been racked in August. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

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 Grégoire 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 élévage. All of the wines were aged in 20% new oak barrels.

"The vintage date was very important in 2009, and so was the yield," said Gregory Gouges. "The vintage had the potential to produce a big crop and we were afraid of getting dilution, so we held our yields under 40 hectoliters per hectare, and more like 35 for our two top wines. The sugars came quickly, and the wines could have been flat and light if the crop level had been high." Gouges noted that the family waited until September 15 to harvest. "We got a concentration of sugar but also sufficient phenolic ripeness. A lack of phenolic material would also have given an impression of dilution. It was a sunny harvest, and the grapes came in warm. Our temperature-control system can't radically chill or heat the grapes, so the fermentations were lively and quick. We pressed quickly after the fermentations but lightly. The seeds were 90% ripe, so we didn't want to do a big extraction." The malos took place in the spring, and the wines were racked and assembled in June and July. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

According to Gregory Gouges, Pierre's son, who is being groomed to take over winemaking at this estate, the flowering was successful in Nuits-Saint-Georges in 2008, but worse the farther north you went, and then the summer was humid and cold, and botrytis began to take root in mid-August. The north wind of September turned pourri humide to pourri sec, which made it easier to eliminate the affected grapes on the estate's vibrating sorting table. Best of all, the rotten grapes did not explode and contaminate the rest. The drying winds brought better phenolic maturity and sound sugar levels between 11.8% and 12.2%, said Gouges, as well as a better balance between the matiere and acidity. In the winery's new cuverie, there's less pigeage done and longer, cooler fermentations at lower temperature (the maximum temperature for the 2008s was only 28oC. And the wines are no longer pumped. "We're now getting better tannins, and the wines will be less austere at the beginning and need less time to open," added Gouges, who emphasized that there has been "an evolution of style here, but not a major change." Incidentally the estate is completely organic as of 2008. All the 2008s here had been racked just before the 2009 harvest, with most of the malos having finished in mid-July. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

According to Gregory Gouges, Pierre's son, who is being groomed to take over winemaking at this estate, the flowering was successful in Nuits-Saint-Georges in 2008, but worse the farther north you went, and then the summer was humid and cold, and botrytis began to take root in mid-August. The north wind of September turned pourri humide to pourri sec, which made it easier to eliminate the affected grapes on the estate's vibrating sorting table. Best of all, the rotten grapes did not explode and contaminate the rest. The drying winds brought better phenolic maturity and sound sugar levels between 11.8% and 12.2%, said Gouges, as well as a better balance between the matiere and acidity. In the winery's new cuverie, there's less pigeage done and longer, cooler fermentations at lower temperature (the maximum temperature for the 2008s was only 28oC. And the wines are no longer pumped. "We're now getting better tannins, and the wines will be less austere at the beginning and need less time to open," added Gouges, who emphasized that there has been "an evolution of style here, but not a major change." Incidentally the estate is completely organic as of 2008. All the 2008s here had been racked just before the 2009 harvest, with most of the malos having finished in mid-July. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges was quite high on the recent 2008 harvest when I visited in November, telling me that his fruit came in with more sugar and more acid than in 2007. "The wines are balanced at a high level of richness," he told me. As to 2007, Gouges noted that he didn't have to do much of a selection, in part because he picked on the early side, "before the skins started to break down." Still, potential alcohols were between 12.5% and 13% and the skins were ripe. He chaptalized most of his cuvees a bit "just to give heat to the vinification." Gouges believes the 2007s are for drinking before the 2006s, especially those from the north side of the village, which he believes show less material and less tannic structure. Gouges noted that in the family's new cuverie, finished in time to handle the 2007 harvest, it's no longer necessary to pump the grapes after they've been destemmed, which means less bruising of the fruit. "We'll still make powerful, tannic wines but they should be less hard and more accessible in their youth." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

I had already received the strong impression that 2006 was particularly successful in Nuits-Saint-Georges, as this village largely avoided hail, the fruit ripened well, and the tannins avoided the hardness that so much wine from this appellation can display even in successful years. Christian Gouges agreed with this assessment, noting that "even the tannins on the south side of the town are rounder than usual." Thanks to the smooth tannins, stable colors and healthy grapes, Gouges hoped to bottle his wines without fining or filtration. He expressed the opinion that the 2006s have all the elements for long aging in bottle. The premier crus here had virtually no botrytis, thanks to the cover crop that soaks up excess moisture in the ground. Potential alcohol levels were in the 12.5% range, and the crus were not chaptalized. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

I had already received the strong impression that 2006 was particularly successful in Nuits-Saint-Georges, as this village largely avoided hail, the fruit ripened well, and the tannins avoided the hardness that so much wine from this appellation can display even in successful years. Christian Gouges agreed with this assessment, noting that "even the tannins on the south side of the town are rounder than usual." Thanks to the smooth tannins, stable colors and healthy grapes, Gouges hoped to bottle his wines without fining or filtration. He expressed the opinion that the 2006s have all the elements for long aging in bottle. The premier crus here had virtually no botrytis, thanks to the cover crop that soaks up excess moisture in the ground. Potential alcohol levels were in the 12.5% range, and the crus were not chaptalized. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges did what he described as "a very simple vinification" in 2005 because he didn't want to impose technology or technique on what he said were perfect grapes. He did a short pre-fermentation cool maceration, then punched down the cap three times a day until fermentation temperature reached its peak of 32o. Total cuvaison times were no more than 15 days, and the result, he said, was wines with "an intensity of tannins but not an austerity." Gouges now suggests cellaring his wines for eight to ten years regardless of the vintage. "At the beginning, I said that the 1988s would decline early, but they're still closed and young," he told me. "Since then I'm much more humble about making predictions." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges did what he described as "a very simple vinification" in 2005 because he didn't want to impose technology or technique on what he said were perfect grapes. He did a short pre-fermentation cool maceration, then punched down the cap three times a day until fermentation temperature reached its peak of 32o. Total cuvaison times were no more than 15 days, and the result, he said, was wines with "an intensity of tannins but not an austerity." Gouges now suggests cellaring his wines for eight to ten years regardless of the vintage. "At the beginning, I said that the 1988s would decline early, but they're still closed and young," he told me. "Since then I'm much more humble about making predictions." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"Vintage 2004 is pinot noir without excess, the classic pinot of Burgundy," said Christian Gouges about the new vintage. Gouges told me that the estate used its sorting table in the winery in 2004, as it was much harder to do a good job of selection in the vines. Sugar levels were typically 12. 7% or 12. 8%, and some of the premier crus were not chaptalized at all, he added. Gouges included a bit of the press wine in 2004 as it was quite supple. "We need the tannins in the press wine for aging potential," he explained. "Otherwise we would just have easy vins de plaisir, not true Burgundy. Wines that are only about fruit don't interest me. "(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"Vintage 2004 is pinot noir without excess, the classic pinot of Burgundy," said Christian Gouges about the new vintage. Gouges told me that the estate used its sorting table in the winery in 2004, as it was much harder to do a good job of selection in the vines. Sugar levels were typically 12. 7% or 12. 8%, and some of the premier crus were not chaptalized at all, he added. Gouges included a bit of the press wine in 2004 as it was quite supple. "We need the tannins in the press wine for aging potential," he explained. "Otherwise we would just have easy vins de plaisir, not true Burgundy. Wines that are only about fruit don't interest me. "(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"A millesime d'exception from a climat d'exception," says Christian Gouges about 2003."The wines will be fantastic to follow. And that's all I'm going to say about this vintage."Like the Chevillons, Gouges started harvesting just after the refreshing precipitation that fell on August 28, which he said perked up the grapes by direct contact rather than swelling them by being absorbed through the vines' roots.Gouges did his shortest cuvaison ever, with very little pigeage, and acidified his top three wines in cuve.The premier crus are all between 13.8% and 14.2% alcohol.On my November visit, Gouges described 2002 as "the most balanced vintage I've ever made."(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"A millesime d'exception from a climat d'exception," says Christian Gouges about 2003."The wines will be fantastic to follow. And that's all I'm going to say about this vintage."Like the Chevillons, Gouges started harvesting just after the refreshing precipitation that fell on August 28, which he said perked up the grapes by direct contact rather than swelling them by being absorbed through the vines' roots.Gouges did his shortest cuvaison ever, with very little pigeage, and acidified his top three wines in cuve.The premier crus are all between 13.8% and 14.2% alcohol.On my November visit, Gouges described 2002 as "the most balanced vintage I've ever made."(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges told me he's not yet using the word 'grandiose' to describe the 2002 vintage but that he believes the wines have an outstanding balance of tannins, acids and fruit. You are tasting the real pinot noir of Burgundy,' he summarizes. One tastes the phenolic maturity in 2002, but there's also a very interesting balance between fruit and terroir There are a lot of differences among the wines in 2002.'The village parcels were picked with potential alcohol around 12.3%, the crus at 12.8%-13.2%.The latter wines were not chaptalized.Gouges told me that he thought the 2002s 'will always be good, like the '99s.'(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

This spectacular dinner at Hedone was a fitting conclusion to an incredible week in London, a city that continues to dazzle with its vibrant food and wine scene.

Christian Gouges told me he's not yet using the word 'grandiose' to describe the 2002 vintage but that he believes the wines have an outstanding balance of tannins, acids and fruit. You are tasting the real pinot noir of Burgundy,' he summarizes. One tastes the phenolic maturity in 2002, but there's also a very interesting balance between fruit and terroir There are a lot of differences among the wines in 2002.'The village parcels were picked with potential alcohol around 12.3%, the crus at 12.8%-13.2%.The latter wines were not chaptalized.Gouges told me that he thought the 2002s 'will always be good, like the '99s.'(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

According to Christian Gouges, the appellation of Nuits-Saint-Georges is on the upswing today, "because the current generation of growers understands our soils better. Nuits-Saint-Georges was once an austere and difficult wine," he went on; "but now we can say that the village is making more feminine wines, without losing the identity of Nuits-Saint-Georges." Gouges describes his young 2001s as "pure and balanced, with good typicite and noble tannins. In 2000, we had big berries due to regular rains and a lack of hydric stress. But in 2001 we had a hot, dry period in August that resulted in smaller berries. The fruit was ultimately riper in 2001 but with a different shape of grape. We were able to do our normal extraction, and since the vintage has not shown a tendency to oxidize we did not need to use much SO2 (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

According to Christian Gouges, the appellation of Nuits-Saint-Georges is on the upswing today, "because the current generation of growers understands our soils better. Nuits-Saint-Georges was once an austere and difficult wine," he went on; "but now we can say that the village is making more feminine wines, without losing the identity of Nuits-Saint-Georges." Gouges describes his young 2001s as "pure and balanced, with good typicite and noble tannins. In 2000, we had big berries due to regular rains and a lack of hydric stress. But in 2001 we had a hot, dry period in August that resulted in smaller berries. The fruit was ultimately riper in 2001 but with a different shape of grape. We were able to do our normal extraction, and since the vintage has not shown a tendency to oxidize we did not need to use much SO2 (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"It hard to compare 2000 with other vintages," Christian Gouges told me in November, "but there's nothing angular about the wines, nothing difficult. There was less surmaturite than in 1997, and the wines should always be good." The 2000s mostly began with potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12%, and were chaptalized to 12.8%-13%. Gouges planned to bottle between January and March of this year, without fining ("because the tannins are fine") or filtration ("because the wines are clear"). I did not taste the full range of this domain's '99s, but I did taste the top two bottlings, and they are stunning. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

"It hard to compare 2000 with other vintages," Christian Gouges told me in November, "but there's nothing angular about the wines, nothing difficult. There was less surmaturite than in 1997, and the wines should always be good." The 2000s mostly began with potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12%, and were chaptalized to 12.8%-13%. Gouges planned to bottle between January and March of this year, without fining ("because the tannins are fine") or filtration ("because the wines are clear"). I did not taste the full range of this domain's '99s, but I did taste the top two bottlings, and they are stunning. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Yields here ranged between 38 and 45 hectoliters per hectare in '99, quite reasonable in the context of this copious vintage. "We benefit from a good percentage of older vines, which are never enormously productive," noted Christian Gouges, who describes 1999 as "a very pinot year. The wines have a good acid/tannin balance, lovely phenolic material and very deep pinot color, and good ripeness at a moderate sugar level. They've been good since the start and will probably always taste good. Nature can give this combination of production and high quality only once every 30 years. The rains were perfectly timed, and really helped to ripen the skins," Gouges noted. "The grapes had thick skins, a real carapace," he added, noting that he was "tres cool" with the vinification, doing a short cold soak and keeping total cuvaison to about 14 days. These wines are now consistently among the standouts of Nuits-Saint-Georges, and are particularly successful in both '98 and '99. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges describes his '98s this way: "Very pinot noir, very agreeable, very expressive of terroir. Because the malos took a long time, they gave the wines gras and roundness." The August heat saved the vintage, Gouges adds, allowing the grapes to reach about 12% potential alcohol. And the thick-skinned grapes were able to resist rot during the pre-harvest rain. Gouges did "a minimum of vinification," avoiding overextraction, which he believes would have been especially dangerous in '98. The malolactic fermentations did not finish until the end of August, although Gouges racked the wines last spring (keeping the lees), explaining that he finds that he loses verve more if he racks the wines when the ambient temperature is warm. All of the '98s showed some signs of reduction in November; their fruit flavors should be further sweetened by the racking done just prior to bottling. Gouges pointed out that he has benefitted from the work of his father, who was widely criticized for his wines in the late '70s and early '80s but who had the courage and foresight to replant his vines. Gouges is now profiting from this work, and his wines have been among the finest, most complete examples of Nuits-Saint-Georges since the early '90s. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges describes his '98s this way: "Very pinot noir, very agreeable, very expressive of terroir. Because the malos took a long time, they gave the wines gras and roundness." The August heat saved the vintage, Gouges adds, allowing the grapes to reach about 12% potential alcohol. And the thick-skinned grapes were able to resist rot during the pre-harvest rain. Gouges did "a minimum of vinification," avoiding overextraction, which he believes would have been especially dangerous in '98. The malolactic fermentations did not finish until the end of August, although Gouges racked the wines last spring (keeping the lees), explaining that he finds that he loses verve more if he racks the wines when the ambient temperature is warm. All of the '98s showed some signs of reduction in November; their fruit flavors should be further sweetened by the racking done just prior to bottling. Gouges pointed out that he has benefitted from the work of his father, who was widely criticized for his wines in the late '70s and early '80s but who had the courage and foresight to replant his vines. Gouges is now profiting from this work, and his wines have been among the finest, most complete examples of Nuits-Saint-Georges since the early '90s. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges, who was facing minor surgery in February to correct a chronic sinus condition, made it immediately clear that he considered 1997 an outstanding vintage. "The wines are exceptional in terms of maturity and individuality," explained Gouges. "They are very ripe for pinot noir and are characterized by empyreumatic (i.e., smoky, roasted) aromas of chocolate, coffee and tobacco, which is a legitimate expression of our pinot noir. They have plenty of tannins, but the tannins are supple and fat, and the wines have an ideal acid/tannin/alcohol balance for aging. The colors, which have deepened since the malos ended, are deep red but not ruby in short, very pinot noir. In sum, it a very natural vintage that should express the terroir and the cepage more than winemaking techniques." The wines were racked last March after the malos, but were still on their fine lees at the time of my visit. The lesser wines will drink well early, but Gouges top two or three cuvees should be long lived. Gouges's more severely structured '96s have turned out extremely well. They were bottled unfiltered but with a "half fining" to round the tannins. Gouges noted that he would rather soften his wines prior to bottling them than switch to a suppler vinification at the outset. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Christian Gouges, who was facing minor surgery in February to correct a chronic sinus condition, made it immediately clear that he considered 1997 an outstanding vintage. "The wines are exceptional in terms of maturity and individuality," explained Gouges. "They are very ripe for pinot noir and are characterized by empyreumatic (i.e., smoky, roasted) aromas of chocolate, coffee and tobacco, which is a legitimate expression of our pinot noir. They have plenty of tannins, but the tannins are supple and fat, and the wines have an ideal acid/tannin/alcohol balance for aging. The colors, which have deepened since the malos ended, are deep red but not ruby in short, very pinot noir. In sum, it a very natural vintage that should express the terroir and the cepage more than winemaking techniques." The wines were racked last March after the malos, but were still on their fine lees at the time of my visit. The lesser wines will drink well early, but Gouges top two or three cuvees should be long lived. Gouges's more severely structured '96s have turned out extremely well. They were bottled unfiltered but with a "half fining" to round the tannins. Gouges noted that he would rather soften his wines prior to bottling them than switch to a suppler vinification at the outset. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Vinification here is as natural as possible. Gouges does a short cold maceration, without chilling the must. He ferments with natural yeasts, using modest chaptalization to draw out the fermentation and keep the yeasts working steadily. Each day there is one pigeage and one remontage with and without aeration on alternating days. There is no further maceration once the fermentation ends. Gouges is not a fan of new oak and its aromas of pain grille and vanilla. "The new-oak wines that are expansive in barrel will last far less long in bottle," he believes. The 1996 yield of 40-45 hectoliters was "normal for others but enormous for Domaine Gouges," says Christian Gouges. The '95s were fined but not filtered; and because the '96 tannins were not overly powerful or aggressive, Gouges hoped to be able to bottle the new vintage without any clarification. Incidentally, Gouges admits having made a mistake by racking the '94s a third time because of reductive aromas. The additional racking dissipated the carbonic gas that protected the wine, resulting in a loss of freshness and fruit. "I was young," he explains. The '96, in contrast, was racked last April and is still on the lees, and will be racked again only for the bottling, which will take place between February and April, a bit earlier than normal for this estate. I thought both the '95s and '96s were quite successful; even the '95s seemed a bit less tough than some recent vintages at this address. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

Vinification here is as natural as possible. Gouges does a short cold maceration, without chilling the must. He ferments with natural yeasts, using modest chaptalization to draw out the fermentation and keep the yeasts working steadily. Each day there is one pigeage and one remontage with and without aeration on alternating days. There is no further maceration once the fermentation ends. Gouges is not a fan of new oak and its aromas of pain grille and vanilla. "The new-oak wines that are expansive in barrel will last far less long in bottle," he believes. The 1996 yield of 40-45 hectoliters was "normal for others but enormous for Domaine Gouges," says Christian Gouges. The '95s were fined but not filtered; and because the '96 tannins were not overly powerful or aggressive, Gouges hoped to be able to bottle the new vintage without any clarification. Incidentally, Gouges admits having made a mistake by racking the '94s a third time because of reductive aromas. The additional racking dissipated the carbonic gas that protected the wine, resulting in a loss of freshness and fruit. "I was young," he explains. The '96, in contrast, was racked last April and is still on the lees, and will be racked again only for the bottling, which will take place between February and April, a bit earlier than normal for this estate. I thought both the '95s and '96s were quite successful; even the '95s seemed a bit less tough than some recent vintages at this address. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)