1998 Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges Les Vaucrains

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.”

Les Vaucrains is a 15.5-acre Premier Cru vineyard in Nuits-Saints-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is in the southern part of of the appellation. Because there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saints-Georges, the appellation’s considerable reputation rests on its excellent Premier Crus. Burgundy writer Clive Coates calls this vineyard part of the “greatest climat in Nuits-Saint-Georges.” The vineyard is 260 – 280 meters in elevation with rocky soil heavy with sand and clay. Coates calls Les Vaucrains “vigorous and rich and full-bodied.”

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.