2005 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru

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)