1999 Nuits Saint-Georges Rue de Chaux

The most important recent development at this domain was the addition of temperature-controlled fermentation tanks for the 2000 harvest, which enabled winemaker Christophe Drag to bring the temperature down to 10o or 11oC, in order to carry out a pre-fermentation maceration. "Now we can start to ferment when we want to," said Drag. Drag also prunes more severely today and did some green harvesting in 1999 though not in 2000. The Chauvenet 2000s have rather low pHs for the vintage, without any acidification, and late malolactic fermentations have further contributed to the impression of cleanness and freshness. For the first time, a couple of Drag other premier crus seemed almost as impressive as the estate's perennial top bottling from Vaucrains. Interestingly, Drag did some saignee in 1999, and again in 2001, but not in 2000. This is a risky method, not to be undertaken lightly, as one risks running off some of the sweetest juice, Drag explained. On my November visit, I preferred most of the 2000s to their '99 counterparts for their balance and sweetness; the latter wines, mostly from fruit harvested after the rains and thus perhaps diluted by water, may have been knocked off balance by the saignee

Christophe Drag carried out what he described as a vendange rose in mid-August to eliminate less-ripe grapes (i.e., those that had not yet completed the transition from green to black); green harvesting in July was impossible because the workers were on vacation then, he explained. Still, yields were full, except where the domain oldest vines held production to more moderate levels. Drag was one of several winemakers who told me that their 2000 crop of wines appeared to be more concentrated than their '99s. Incidentally, the Chauvenet domain purchased a temperature-controlled cuve in time for the 2000 harvest, and thus was able to do a longer pre-fermentation cold soak than in '99.