Jean Chauvenet, Robert Chevillon, Henri Gouges
Despite being the most popular posh wine in our house in the sixties - invariably served when Mateus Rosé or King's College's house claret wouldn't do, somehow Nuits-St-Georges lost its position as top Burgundy village to upstarts like Vosne and Gevrey. This situation mustn't continue and we strive to restore it to its rightful position in the Burgundy firmament by buying suitably starry producers.
There's a Girafe* in Christophe Drag's cellar. As part of Domaine Jean Chauvenet's continuing quest for improvement and the realisation that pumping things round the cellar isn't beneficial for wine quality, Christophe has invested in a Girafe to move fruit around more gently than a screw or pump and the difference is noticeable. The wines' texture is finer and the aromas more perfumed, but there is still lots of aging potential.
There is a nice contrast with the more delicate style at Robert Chevillon, where the harvest was small and the resulting low yield and lowish alcohol combine to give lots of perfume, fruit and freshness.
It is invidious to have favourites, but Domaine Gouges, led by Gregory, is definitely one of mine. What a track record the wines have, how long they last - a 1956 Nuits Villages tasted last October means I can die happy. But what perfume, what texture, how supple they are, too. A small, but perfectly formed vintage at this address. /CW
*A steeply angled conveyor to take fruit from one level to another - a much gentler way of moving grapes
Monday 14 January
Chablis
