2015 Nuits St Georges Vieilles Vignes

Good dark red. Red fruits and a whiff of olive on the nose. Flavors of redcurrant and herbs convey good energy but could use a bit more sweetness and clarity. A distinctly dry style with a minty nuance and somewhat dusty tannins. Reasonably balanced but a tad rustic.

The 2015 Nuits St Georges, which I tasted from a used barrel, has a lively red cherry and cranberry-scented bouquet with fine transparency. The palate is medium-bodied with almost a candied opening, hints of orange rind infusing the tart cherry fruit, a keen line of acidity with a dash of salinity towards the finish. This is a beautifully crafted village cru.

(this cuvée is mostly from La Charmotte and Au Chouillet, with bits and pieces from Aux Saints Jacques, Les Charmois, Les Maladières, Les Chaliots and Les Brûlées plus a few others too small to mention). An elegant, pure and complex nose consists of notes of plum, earth and background hints of the sauvage. There is really lovely detail to the sleek, delicious and solidly complex and concentrated middle weight flavors that are shaped by ripe tannins on the moderately firm, balanced and lingering finale. This is definitely Nuits in character but it’s an elegant Nuits. Dec 2016, www.burghound.com