Côte de Nuits 2021: New Releases

The Nuits Vieilles Vignes has temporarily lost its Aux Barrières component, replaced this year by the very well-situated Les Longecourts, which is just below Les St-Georges. A heady nose of griotte cherry, with excellent concentration and a deft balance.The wine feels so beautifully smooth, with a lovely deep core of sweet fruit. Classic Burgundy through and through.

This vineyard between Chambolle Musigny and Gilly-lès-Citeaux is one of the best parcels of Bourgogne in the Côte de Nuits. Neighbour Ghislaine Barthod’s Bourgogne Rouge is another exceptional example of this vineyard. Attractive red plum and cherry notes delight on the nose, along with a slightly reductive hint. The palate is fresh with a lovely mineral note and packed full of classic, refined red fruit and a long, fine finish. This wine’s purity and elegance is so attractive. Incredible value if you can get some.

This small monopole vineyard sits opposite the cellar, and it’s where the heart of the domaine lies. It’s amazing, but undeniable, that in a line up that contains some of Chambolle and Vosne’s finest sites, this was the highlight of the cellar. It is so complete and composed, with a sensationally long finish. Don’t miss this.

There can’t be many village parcels with a better position than this. Indeed, the bottom half of the vineyard is premier cru. The top half runs above Les Fuées and meets with Bonnes-Mares at its northern edge. This wine is full of red plum, damson and wild raspberry with a lovely pink peppercorn lift on the nose. 50% whole bunch is expertly judged. The palate is perfectly balanced, with focussed acidity balanced by a pure and concentrated fruit core. This is classical Pinot Noir at its best.

These vines are around 60 years old and come from four parcels, with which Maxime gives a very representative snapshot of the village. It has an attractive nose, with a subtle violet quality that opens slowly in the glass. The palate has concentrated red fruit length, and a particularly elegant, refined character. Utterly delicious.

These vines were planted in 1947, and the wine they have made in 2021 is wonderfully spicy and complex, with perfectly fine tannins. There is a marvellous energy within. Absolutely glorious and shows off just how well suited the terroir of Chambolle was to the 2021 vintage.