2015 Nuits St Georges Aux Murgers

The 2015 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers has a clean and precise bouquet with black cherry, wild strawberry and cassis aromas that fight their way through a patina of reduction. The palate is smooth on the entry with supple tannin, well-judged acidity and a ripe, cohesive finish with tensile black cherry and raspberry notes. Maybe a little more persistence would have been welcome, though I appreciate the focus here.

(14% alcohol!): Dark red with ruby tones. Deep, musky scents of black raspberry, smoke and game; very ripe but reserved. Dense, tactile and concentrated, with its raspberry, animal fur, chocolate and saline flavors communicating an impression of strong dry extract. More than enough stuffing here to support the ripe tannins.

This too is quite firmly reduced. By contrast there is both good freshness and verve to the rich, full-bodied and generously proportioned flavors that possess excellent power and punch on the very ripe, suave and ever-so-slightly warm finale. Note that unlike many vintages for this wine, it should be approachable after only 6 to 8 years.