Nuits Saint Georges Les Saint Georges, Domaine Henri Gouges 2011

**Note: 55+ year old vines**
As is usually the case this is the most elegant wine in the range with its lightly oaked nose of spice, violet, plus, earth and humus. There is excellent richness and concentration to the distinctly earthy large-scaled but not huge flavors that possess dense but relatively fine supporting tannins on the wonderfully persistent finish. While the Vaucrains is an excellent wine it appears that there is just a bit more present here. This is well worth your consideration, at least if you're prepared to cellar it for a minimum of 10 years.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. You have to first get past a small fog of reduction on the nose of the 2011 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges, although underneath there is plenty of ripe redcurrant and raspberry fruit to be enjoyed (so I suggest 2-3 hour’s decanting here.) The palate is medium-bodied with lithe and supple tannins. This is very well balanced with good depth, building nicely with wild strawberry, raspberry and white pepper notes toward a satisfying and harmonious finish that shows great persistence. This is clearly the best 2011 from Grégory Gouges.