Grapelive Wine of the Week
By Kerry Winslow
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2009 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges “Clos Des Porrets Saint-Georges-Monopole” Premier Cru, Red Burgundy, France.
The Gouges wines are real agers, and when they hit their sweet spot the are some of the greatest wines made, and while this 2009 “Clos des Porrets Saint Georges” is young, it is one f the most thrilling Pinots I’ve had this year. I was lucky to have had dinner with the Gouges’ a few years back, and while it was tough as my French doesn’t exist, it was a pleasure to be in their charming company for an evening and trust me their wines are fantastic. Some of the oldest vines in Burgundy are in Nuits-St.-Georges, some over a hundred years old and the terroir really imparts an earthy tone and firm tannic structure to the wines, making for a Burgundy that usually takes a while to come around, though I have noticed a more gentle style emerging from this region in recent vintages and this wine is a pure joy to behold even now, though let it have plenty of air and let the classic funky and edgy verve blow off a bit. I left this bottle open 24 hours and the result was stunning, this wine is magical and devine, a Burgundy of power, structure and layered grace and beauty. The rose petal perfume and dried violets come through with a mix of earth and spices before a lush body of fruit come forward, black cherry, blackberry, plum and raspberry all mingle nicely in mouth with touches of truffle, pepper and incense. This racy and seductive Burgundy is almost dead on perfect, but I think even more may show up in a few years!
($85 Est.) 95-96 Points, grapelive
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