Eric hosted our blind tasting group for a fun lineup last night that turned out to be mostly Nuits St. Georges. Good fun as always catching up with friends and enjoying some really nice wines.
2010 Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau Le Perréon
Starting wine, non-blind. It has arrived! Bright red fruits with a little grapey sweetness, nice acidity and freshness, pleasant sipper if rather simple
Flight 1:
2005 Domaine Alain Michelot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Chaignots
Great stuff. This is surprisingly accessible for an '05 (I was shocked to see the vintage when it was unveiled) with lovely aromatics combining bright fruit with spicy, herbal and gentle forestal aspects into a lovely scent, and a palate that's very silken and finessed with rich fruit, savoury earth and great balance.
2002 Gérard Mugneret Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
Funky, bretty aromatics with warm leather and saddle sweat over red fruits and earth. This smells more like a Southern Rhone than a Burgundy, though in the mouth it's very streamlined and finessed, much more enjoyable than the aromatics suggest with fresh fruit, bright acidity keeping the whole package precise and elegant and a savoury finish.
Flight 2:
2004 Hospices de Nuits Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Didiers
While I'm not particularly green-sensitive in a lot of '04 Burgs, there was a sharp green pepper and herbaceous character that stuck out here in the aromatics. Tart raspberry and cherry fruit on the palate accented by leafy notes and damp earth with bright acids, but coming across a little austere and angular for my liking.
2006 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve (Willamette Valley)
Tasting blind I figured this was a nice Cru Beaujolais, perhaps a really ripe Morgon. It's full of bright cherries and berries tinged with fresh floral elements, coming across very fruit-forward, ripe and slightly sweet, not particularly complex but quite tasty. Though at the price it seems quite ridiculous.
Flight 3:
1999 Domaine Alain Michelot Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes
Slightly closed and unyielding at first, showing a touch of alcohol on the nose initially and not much fruit, but it comes into balance and opens up nicely with some time and air to show fresh red fruits combined with earth and herbal accents on a polished, medium weight frame. Very nice.
1999 Domaine Alain Michelot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts Saint-Georges
Not sure if this was faintly corked; a slightly musty character on the nose amidst aromas of cherries and leather. It's relatively light in the mouth with some red fruits and savoury earthy, faintly dusty notes - but the flavours seem rather blurry and thin on the back end.
Flight 4:
1998 Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots
Really lovely; a seamless combination of fresh Pinot fruit with developing cedar, leathery and forestal earthy notes on an elegant, medium weight with a lovely polished texture. Drinking beautifully right now.
1996 Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Nuits St. Georges Au Bas de Combe
Pretty much mature right now with scents of old leather, mushrooms, earth and faint cedary notes, and gentle red fruited elements on the palate beneath savoury developed flavours. Complex, understated and elegant with tannins pretty much resolved, very enjoyable.
Think the two Tardy NSGs and the '05 Michelot Chaignots were the consensus top 3 at the table, in varying orders of preferences. Very fun and educational night, thanks again Eric.