2013 Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru les St Georges has a rounded blackberry, raspberry leaf and undergrowth-scented bouquet that is nicely focused, conspicuous new oak to be absorbed. The palate is chewy with good extraction without being excessive. Chunky perhaps, missing some cohesion but it will improve in the glass. There is a sense of joie-de-vivre emancipated by this wine, but it is backward, so afford it 2-4 years in bottle. Tasted September 2016.

Bright, dark red. Very pure but youthfully subdued aromas of raspberry and flinty minerality. Silky and fine-grained but at the same time taut, displaying terrific inner-mouth energy and floral lift. Wonderfully precise already but this is still an infant. Really echoes and rises on the aftertaste, where the very smooth tannins coat the front teeth. Very firm, even youthfully strict, but not at all dry. A potentially outstanding vintage for this bottling, from a crop level of just 15 hectoliters per hectare.

Extremely light toast. 30% stems. Smells richer and darker than the Grand Chaillots. And a little toasty. Savoury and refined, the ripe, dark fruit filling out the dry, fine-grained tannins. Juicy and fresh on the finish. (JH)