2016 Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges

Henri Gouges is a 45-acre estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It was founded in the early 20th century by Henri Gouges and is today owned and operated by his grandsons, Pierre and Christian. The domaine has Premier Cru parcels in Nuits-Saints-Georges, including its monopole Clos-des-Porrets-Nuits-Saint-Georges. It also makes a limited production white Premier Cru which Clive Coates says “bears no resemblance to Chardonnay. It is delicious.” Henri Gouges was a pioneer in many ways, including his practice of bottling and selling his winey directly to the public starting in the 1920s. Coates calls the domaine’s winemaking “magnificent.”

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.