Nuits Saint-Georges, Les Saint-Georges
The 2005 and 2006 Vintages
Note: on the map above, the parcel no. 67 is farmed by the Domaine Robert Chevillon, parcel no.68 by Regis Forey, and parcel no. 69 by Alain Michelot. Parcel no.70 is farmed by Vincent Sauvestre.
Down at the bottom of the middle section of Nuits-Saint-Georges, underneath Les Vaucrains and Les Chaines-Carteaux, and between Les Cailles and Les Didiers, lies the 7.52 hectare vineyard of Les Saint-Georges, widely considered, not only by the town itself, which has adopted the name as its suffix, to be Nuits' best climat.
It could also be Nuits' oldest. The Abbé Courtepée, writing before the French Revolution, stated that it was already planted with vines in the year 1000 AD. In 1023 the land was given by Humbert, archdeacon of Autun, to the Chapitre of Saint-Denis, whose base was up in the hills in nearby Vergy. Dr Morelot (1831) states that Les Saint-Georges was clearly the best vineyard in the commune. The historian Lavalle, twenty-four years later, placed the wine at the same level as Corton and Clos des Lambrays.
Others, since, have called it unjust that the land was not ruled as a grand cru by the authorities in 1936.
Yes, perhaps, I would answer. But Les Saint-Georges is clearly not Richebourg. And if you promote this vineyard, how many more will – and justifiably – clamour to be promoted?
As in much of the vineyard territory in this part of Nuits the vines are planted north-south, and this is how the climat is divided. There are 15 plots and 13 owners. Most of the plots are small: only Thibault Liger-Belair, with over two hectares, Henri Gouges, with just over one, and the Hospices de Nuits, with just under one hectare, are substantial. The rest make a token few pièces only.
The vineyard lies at an altitude of beween 245 and 260 metres above sea level, exposed to the east on a gentle slope of around 7 percent. The soil is a reddish-brown, relatively deep mixture of very stony, limestone debris, together with a little clay that has been washed down from the plateau above over the aeons. The mother rock underneath is Bathonian, the earliest era found in the Côte'Or. In contrast Les Vaucrains, above, contains more white oolite and a fraction of sand. Les Cailles, on the same level to the north, also has this sand element, but more overflow from the land above.
This produces what Professor Saintsbury, writing about Hermitage, called 'a manly wine'. In the Gouges cellar the Vaucrains is more brutal, but the Les Saint-Georges the most backward. The wine is well-coloured, solid and tannic when young, and requires a decade at minimum before it even begins to round off. Frequently in the protracted adolescence it is frankly not very enjoyable. You just have to wait. But if you give it time, your patience will be rewarded. You will find a wine of richness, depth and concentration which will last and last, getting steadily more and more mellow and fascinating. A Gouges 1959 Les Saint-Georges, generouly provided for the meal which followed, was mellow and splendidly complex, classy and vigorous: a absolutely delicious bottle.
And, compared with an equivalent Vosne-Romanée, it won't have cost you an arm and a leg.
In February 2011 I invited the growers to join me for a tasting of the 2005 and 2006 vintages. One declined, another I could not reach. My thanks to the team at Faiveley for allowing is to use their premises and providing a casse-croute afterwards.
The marks are within the context of the vintage.
Maison Béjot, Domaine Vincent Sauvestre
En fermage from the Audidier-Maitrot family of Corgoloin.
2006From 2016Good, full, youthful colour. Somewhat flat, over-blown nose. Lacks a bit of fruit and grip. Better on the palate. Medium-full body. A touch of oak. Rather more alive and succulent than the nose would suggest. Positive finish. Very good.
2005From 2018Fullish colour. Firm, slightly harsh nose. Rich underneath but a little ungainly. Medium-full body. Quite sweet. The tannins a mixture of richness and rusticity. So a bit unbalanced and unstylish. Reasonable but not really convincing fruit. Good at best.
Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux
45 ares en fermage from the Frisby family of Hitchin, UK. 100 percent destemmed. 6 days cold-soaking. 25 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
2006 From 2017Fullish colour. Just a little hard and perhaps astringent on the nose. This is a bit old-fashioned. Slightly dry. Fullish body. Some tannin. Decent fruit but not the fat and potential richness of the best. Good plus.
2005 From 2018Fullish, youthful colour. Medium weight nose. Slightly tough fruit here. Medium-full body. Decent ripeness, balance and style. Quite high acidity. Not exactly rich, nor as classy as some. Very good.
Domaine Robert Chevillon et Fils
63 ares of 75 year old vines en fermage from the Misserey and Deharveng families of Compiegne and Neuilly-sur-Seine. Very largely de-stemmed. A brief perod of cold -soaking. 30 percnt new wood. Boyyles after 15-18 months.
2006 From 2018Full colour. A bit closed-in on the nose. Medium-full body. Just a touch astringent. Decent fruit but not a great deal of richness. Good grip. Youthful. Will it ever have the charm and excitement? Very good at best.
2005Not offered.
Domaine Georges Chicotot
22 ares. 100 percent whole cluster vinification. 6 days cold-soaking. 25 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
2006From 2018Fullish colour. Round, accessible, stylish, balanced nose. Fullish body. Ripe tannins and very good grip. A elegant, vigorous wine with plenty of depth and a lovely finish. Fine.
2005From 2022Full colour. Firm, closed nose. But plenty of depth and vigour. Fullish body. Some tannin. Very good grip. This is a rich meaty example. Lots of energy. Needs time. Fine plus.
Domaine Dufouleur Frères
16 ares. 100 percent destemmed. No deliberate cold-soaking. Around 30 percent new wood; Bottled after 18 months or so.
2006From 2020full, vigorous colour. Firm, full, oaky nose. Full body. Some tannin. Very good grip; This has depth and concentration and quite a lot of new oak. Rich and ripe on the follow through; A good sturdy example in the best sense of the word. Fine.
2005From 2018Fullish colour. Quite a mellow, succulent, genly oaky nose. Rich and classy. Medium-full body. Well-mannered. Harmonious. More accessible than most. Not a monster and all the better for it. A stylish wine. Fine plus.
Domaine Faiveley
23 ares of average age 60 year old vines. 100 percent destemmed. 5 days natural cold-soaking. 50 percent new wood. Bottled after 15 months.
2006 From 2018Medium-full colour. Ripe, balanced, vigorous nose. But not a blockbuster. Quite substantial on the palate though. Some tannin. Good grip. A little sturdy. But a long, vigorous finish. Fine.
2005 From 2018Fullish nose. Youthful. At first it seemed to lack a bit of succulence, but it got richer as it evolved. Medium-full body. A little tannin; Just a hint of astringency, yet good grip and a balanced, ripe follow through. Very good indeed.
Domaine Régis Forey
19 ares planted in 1983 en fermage from the Naudin and Laporte families. 100 percent destemmed. 4 days natural cold-soaking. 100 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
2006 From 2020Full colour. Rich, full, quite tannic nose. Firm but not brutal. Full body. Good tannins. Good grip. Ripe and rich. Just a little sauvage at the end. But very good plus. Needs time.
2005 From 2019Very full colour. Firm, rich but quite tannic nose. A big wine here. Some tannin on the palate. But underneath good style and grip. The structure of the wine tends to overwhelm the fruit, but very good indeed nonetheless.
Domaine Henri Gouges
1.03 hectares, planted 1961. 100 percent destemmed. 2/3 days natural cold-soaking. 20-25 percent new oak. Bottled after 16-18 months.
2006 From 2020Full, immature colour. Quite a firm nose. Plenty of substance. But the tannins are ripe and rich. Full bodied. Quite some tannin. This is a backward wine, but there is harmony and depth here. Lovely long finish. Very fine.
2005 From 2020Very full, backward colour. Broad-flavoured, fullish nose. Ripe and rich, with a suggestion of new oak. Fullish body. Some tannin. Backward. Very fresh. Lovely balanced fruit on the follow through. Long, very stylish and very fine.
Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges
Two parcels totalling 95 ares, producing Cuvée Georges Faiveley and Cuvée des Sires de Vergy, the former from the best parcels and oldest vines. 100 percent destemmed. 6/8 days cold-soaking. 100 percent new wood. Bottled after 17 months.
2006 From 2018Full, youthful colour. Fresh, balanced, well-mannered nose. I like the poise here. Medium-full body. Very good tannins. Lovely very rich fruit. Energetic and very classy. Not a suggestion of over-oaking here. Lovely long finish. Very fine.
2005 From 2020Full colour. Firm and closed in but very classy on the nose. Fullish body. Balanced. Very concentrated. Excellent grip. Fresh and harmonious, rich and complex on the follow through. A classic. Excellent.
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
2.10 hectares. 33 percent of the stems retained. 7 days cold-soaking. 40 percent new wood. Bottled after 15-18 months.
2006From 2018Good colour. Still youthful. Fresh, round nose, no hard edges. Plump and fruity. Fullish body. Rich. Lots of succulent fruit. Very good grip. Stylish. Good depth. Not a bit sauvage. Long. Very fine.
2005 From 2022Very full, youthful colour. Firm, backward nose. But marvelous concentrated fruit and very sophisticated tannins. Very good grip. Full, nicely sauvage – in the best sense – so a very typical middle Nuits-Saint-Georges. A sturdy wine. Rich at the end. Fine plus.
Domaine Alain Michelot
19 ares planted 1978. 100 percent destemmed. 4/5 days cold-soaking. 30 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Declined to submit camples.
Domaine Gilles Remoriquet
19 ares 45 year old vines. Up to 15 percent of the stems. A brief cold-soaking. 30-40 percent new wood. B ottled after 15-18 months.
2006From 2018Medium-full colour. Ripe, succulent, gently oaky nose. Lots of quality fruit here. Medium-full bdy. Some tannin. Very good grip. Quite rich. This is long, complex and harmonious. Stylish loo. Fine plus.
2005From 2022Very full, youthful colour. Rich and ripe on the nose. Classy too. But closed in. Full, concentrated, rich and oaky on the palate. This is a very stylish example. Concentrated, complex and potentially velvety. Lovely finish. Very fine.
Domaine Edouard Zibetti
Unable to run to earth.
I asked the assembled growers to nominate three favorites in each vintage. The group preferences in the 2006 vintage were for Thibault Liger-Belair in first place, with Robert Chevillon, Dufouleur Frères and the Hospices de Nuits as equal second. In 2005 the vote went to the Hospices, with Thibault Liger-Belair in second place and Georges Chicotot third.