2014 Jerome Chezeaux, Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Vaucrains” Premier Cru Red Burgundy, France.
I’ve been following Jerome Chezeaux for a few years now and have been impressed with the beauty and quality of these wines, The domaine, which is based in Prémeaux-Prissey just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, owns approximately 12 hectares of vineyards with Jerome, taking the reins back in 1993 after the death of his father Bernard, making wines that are wonderfully textured, detailed and elegant. Chezeaux’s main thrust is from top small parcels in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vougeot and Vosne Romanée, including some exceptional lieu-dits and Cru sites, he goes for extreme purity in his winemaking with cold macerations with 3 to 4 days, and the entire cuvaison extends for approximately three weeks with gentile punchdowns and native yeast ferments, his wines see about 30% new oak and are aged between 18 to 24 months in barrel, all of which is pretty traditional and classic for the region. Chezeaux’s Les Vaucrains, one of NSG’s best Crus, is one of their top wines from 25 year old vines, Chezeaux domaine owns a bit more than a quarter-hectare here, which is composed of a mix of heavy clay and limestone soils with an eastern exposure and on a slope, at an angle of about 15%. The 2014 version is dream like with remarkable delicacy, it’s a light to medium bodied Pinot Noir that is wonderfully transparent with a light ruby color in the glass and a beautiful rose petal bouquet which leads to a silky palate of black cherry, plum and strawberry fruits, sweet tannin, soft acidity along with faint oak notes, baking spices, stones, anise, and a bit of earthy/savory/saline notes as well as mineral tones. Look for this wine to build over time in the bottle, patience will be rewarded, best from 2020 to 2030, but it’s striking now for it’s refined charm and grace, for a young Burgundy from a pedigreed Premier Cru site in the Powerful Nuits-Saint-Georges it’s stunningly contrary to most from Vaucrains, it’s a gorgeous wine with divine class and length.
($69 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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