2005 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru

The Chevillons’ 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers offers high-toned aromas of resin and sage, candied black cherry, and road tar. A sappy intensity on the palate incorporates some of the same resinous, fusil notes along with multi-boned meat stock and rich, positively viscous suggestions of black cherry concentrate. This has more obvious structure than its predecessors, yet also more fat and glycerin. Sleek and refined yet also gripping and mineral-inflected in its long finish, this will keep nicely for well more than a decade and should be left alone for at least 5-7 years. If further proof were needed that the Chevillons are in a class by themselves among the major Nuits-St.-Georges landholders, they certainly delivered it this year. Like so many other vintners, they reported backing off on pigeage this year – and heaven knows, the resultant wines don’t lack for concentration. Their Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, Bourgogne, and Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres had all just been sulfured and filtered, so Bertrand Chevillon declined to show them. He was as yet noncommittal, however, about when the other wines would be bottled, although this would probably continue through Spring, and be accompanied by the estate’s usual light filtration. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.