By Burgundy standards, Nuits-St-Georges is an enormous appellation, stretching nearly four miles end to end. The mineral content in the soil varies widely across the town, and Nuits can best be thought of as three distinct districts: north, middle and south. The northern part that borders Vosne is the most elegant, the middle the boldest and most powerful, and the southern the lightest and most mineral.
Today’s cuvée comes from the middle, not far from the famous “Les St-Georges” vineyard from which the town draws its name. Michel Gros’s “les Chaliots” vineyard produces a classic expression of Nuits: deep intensity, muscular texture, deep dark fruit.
In his book “Inside Burgundy,” Jasper Morris MW singled out Gros’s “Chaliots” cuvée as among his best, calling it “dark in color and style of fruit, with firm tannins and fresh acidity,” and remarking “it ages exceptionally well for a village wine.”
The trick in Nuits-St-Georges (particularly the middle sector) is to balance the readily available tannin with enough fruit and finesse. The naturally rugged structure of grapes from Nuits lends itself to rusticity if not well tamed. As you might expect from someone who recently celebrated his 40th vintage at the helm of his domaine, Michel has steered this cuvée beautifully, and hit the balance just right. Burghound found “good punch to the mouth coating flavors.”
The nose is deep and lovely, with plums, blackberries, toast and spice. The mouth is rich and concentrated, with deep color and even deeper flavor. It’s very 2020 in its blend of concentrated ripe fruit but excellent acidity. We expect it to age beautifully over the next 3-5 years, but as with most 2020s, it’s simply delicious today. Serve with a warm plate of steak frites.
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Michel Gros Nuits-St-Georges “Chaliots” 2020
bottle price: $72
