2017 Nuits-St Georges, Les Poulettes, 1er Cru, Domaine Jean Chauvenet, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Once again the wood treatment isn't subtle and in this case it includes menthol notes that also fight somewhat with the notably ripe liqueur-like aromas of cassis and dark cherry. The beautifully sleek and very intense medium-bodied flavors possess very fine delineation and as well as an almost pungent minerality, all wrapped in a moderately austere and sneaky long finish. This needs to develop more depth with time in bottle as well as better integrate the oak treatment but my projected range implicitly assumes those improvements will occur.
Drink 2029+
Alan Meadows, Burghound.com (Jan 2019)
About this WINE
Domaine Jean Chauvenet
Jean Chauvenet's wines are described by many as some of the most elegant and stylish in the whole Nuits- St Georges area. While Jean concentrated on extending holdings and domaine bottling Premier Cru, his son-in-law, Christophe Drag, a relative newcomer to the family firm, has been tending the vins de terroir.
Educated at Lycée Viticole in Beaune and the University of Dijon, Christophe Drag has brought a modern and energetic touch to this family firm. He distinguishes between the north and south Premiers Crus, deeming those of the north to be more delicate and those of the south the more structured. His village holdings in Nuits-St.Georges and Vosne-Romanée are also held in high esteem with les Vaucrains standing out.
Nuits-Saint Georges
Originally known as Nuits, or even Nuits-sous-Beaune, the town was happy to add the name of its finest vineyard, Les St Georges, in the 19th century. There are no Grands Crus, but many fine Premier Cru vineyards, the mayor of the time – Henri Gouges – preferring not to single out any vineyard for the highest status.
The wines of Nuits-St Georges vary according to their exact provenance. Those of the hamlet of Prémeaux, considered to be part of Nuits-St Georges for viticultural purposes, are often on the lighter side.The richest and most sought-after are those just south of Nuits-St Georges such as Les Vaucrains, Les Cailles and Les St Georges itself. The third sector, including Les Murgers, Les Damodes and Les Boudots are at the Vosne-Romanée end of the village, and demonstrate some of the extra finesse associated with Vosne.
Several domaines (Gouges, Rion, Arlot) now produce a white Nuits-St Georges from Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay.
- 175 hectares of village Nuits-St Georges
- 143 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (20 in all). Best vineyards include Les St Georges, and Clos des Argillières and Clos de la Maréchale in Prémeaux
- Recommended producers: Gouges, Rion, Liger Belair, Potel
- Recommended restaurant : La Cabotte (small but stylish)
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Once again the wood treatment isn't subtle and in this case it includes menthol notes that also fight somewhat with the notably ripe liqueur-like aromas of cassis and dark cherry. The beautifully sleek and very intense medium-bodied flavors possess very fine delineation and as well as an almost pungent minerality, all wrapped in a moderately austere and sneaky long finish. This needs to develop more depth with time in bottle as well as better integrate the oak treatment but my projected range implicitly assumes those improvements will occur.
Drink 2029+
Alan Meadows, Burghound.com (Jan 2019)
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