Nuits-Saint-Georges: the New Reliable?

Thoughts of Burgundy continue to swirl through my head, inspired by the mega-tasting I experienced during the week-long Grands Jours de Bourgogne wine trade event. One recurring theme is: expectations versus reality in terms of tasting terroir.

Burgundy is arguably the benchmark for terroir— with vineyard differentiation going back to Medieval times, and dozens (if not hundreds) of books by renowned authors praising site distinctions certainly supporting that. As a high-level wine student, I pored over arguments for Volnay against Chambolle, or Puligny over Meursault, for hours. These sites are not that far from one another, but the differences in their wines are legendary.

During my week tasting in Burgundy, however, lines between sites and styles were muddied rather than clarified. Only one of a dozen Corton-Charlemagnes I tasted was stylistically powerful, opulent, and resinous, as expected. Very few Gevrey-Chambertins gave me the bold, muscular, firmly tannic personality I associate with the area.

As I tasted, I scratched my head more than nodded in recognition, and was grateful that a blind tasting exam was not part of the program.

There’s still a lot of unpacking I need to do about the whys and hows of stylistic influences—fighting the effects of climate change, viticultural and vinification trends, producer signature, market demands, and so much more. These all affect what ends up in our wine glass, and iconic Burgundy is no exception.

But amidst the muddy waters of the tasting, for me one lighthouse beacon, if you will, was Nuits-Saint-Georges (NSG).

Personally, I historically forgot about NSG. It’s not the superstar well-rounded Vosne-Romanée, it doesn’t show the graceful spice and perfume of Chambolle-Musigny, it doesn’t even offer the crunchy, wiry charm of Fixin. (Of course, when those signature elements actually exist, see above ha ha.)

I almost never considered arguing NSG during a blind exam; my “Pinot Noir Decision Tree” study notes, otherwise packed with detail, merely say, “humble, rustic, ferrous,” for NSG. (A bit more iron in the soil there can lend that edge to the wine.) It has many well-regarded Premier Crus, but no Grand Crus. Lacking more truly distinctive character of other villages, it was never a top option in my mental list.

And yet, going back over my nearly 400 tasting notes from the week, I noticed more hearts and stars with NSG than almost any other grouping. Simply, I was charmed by these wines—none were merely “humble, rustic, ferrous.” There was quite a range of expressions, from earthy, spicy, dark minerals to floral, tangy, fruity. Some were captivatingly quaffable, others structured to age.

With the borders between terroirs growing increasingly hazy, and my reactions to other villages sometimes all over the place, this tasting gave me a breath of confidence. For me, Nuits-Saint-George has become my “new reliable.”

How do you differentiate the villages in your mind? Do you have a favorite, and why? Was NSG one of them, or not? I would love to know.

Here are some brief tasting notes of the NSGs that I enjoyed the most, in no particular order. Note: many 2024s and some 2023s are not yet available in the U.S.

2024 Robert Chevillon NSG Premier Cru (PC) Les Vaucrains ~$180. Meaty, masculine, animal, structured, fascinating contrast with:

2024 Robert Chevillon NSG Les Chaignots PC ~$130. Floral spice, juicy soft mouthfeel, tangy concentrated pomegranate.

2023 Albert Bichot NSG Charmes Carteaux PC ~$80. Very concentrated fruit, delightful and rich but elegant (not their own vinyeards, but their technical director’s.)

2024 Domaine de L’Arlot Clos L’Arlot Blanc PC (a monopole, or singly-owned vineyard) ~$150 Bold, tangy, energetic, long finish. [NSG is red wine territory but some producers make compelling whites here as well.]

2023 Domaine de L’Arlot Clos L’Arlot PC (Rouge) ~$145. Tasty, great fruit, nice finish, balanced.

2023 Domaine de L’Arlot Clos des Forets Saint Georges (PC monopole) ~$145. Earthy, merde-y, but juicy on palate, lovely concentration, yum.

2015 Domaine de L’Arlot Clos des Forets Saint Georges PC ~$175. Little leafy, sweet merde, elegant, gorgeous evolution, very tactile, chewy tannins. (I just loved everything from Dom L’Arlot.)

2023 Henri Gouges NSG-Villages ~$80. Dusky cranberry-pomegranate, yeah all that! Great introduction to NSG.

2023 Henri Gouges NSG Les Saint Georges PC ~$500. Intense perfume, juicy, concentrated, wow absolutely stellar vibe.

2023 Laboure-Roi NSG Les Terres Blanches PC (Rouge) $N/A. Delicate perfume but excellent tangy driving energy.

2023 Liger-Belair NSG “La Charmotte” ~$95. Earthy, ooh love, little anise, lavender on finish, great texture, a fave of the day.

2023 Liger-Belair NSG Les Saint Georges PC ~$250. Smoky, spicy, tightly wound, early to drink this but lots going on, long finish.

2023 Marchand Tawse NSG ~$85. Smoky, dark minerals, nice supple fruit in mouth, incense-y vibe.

2023 Jean-Charles Rion NSG-Villages ~$75. Perfume, potpourri, subtle cherry, good mouthfeel, spry acid and feathery tannins.

2023 Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion NSG Clos des Argilliers PC ~$110. Lifted perfume (30% whole cluster will do that) juicy and lean at same time, tangy bright high-toned. Interesting contrast with:

2023 Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion NSG Clos Saint Marc (PC monopole) ~$130. Fresh, big cassis perfume, violets, great mouthfeel, bluer/blacker fruit and more flesh (deeper yellow marl soil.)

2023 Domaine des Perdrix NSG Terres Blanches PC Rouge ~$110. Subtle sweet spice on nose, cherry on palate, very shpicy.

2023 Domaine des Perdrix NSG Aux Perdrix PC ~$115. Loved the stemmy herbal character, concentration and subtlety.

2023 Domaine des Perdrix NSG Les 8 Ouvrees PC (a special clay-dominant parcel) ~$180. Floral, violet lavender, extra concentrated (Perdrix was all about subtle concentration and elegance!)

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Although I'm embracing the hope of my "new reliable," thoughts of Burgundy continue to swirl… including musings on an inherent problem that may forever affect how we regard—and interact with—the region. Stay tuned.

Cheers!