2013 Georges Noellat Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Cras

Domaine Georges Noellat, in Vosne-Romanee, is one of the commune’s most well-established and renowned estates. But when Geroges Noellat passed away in the late 1990s, his wife took over and sold most of what she produced to Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin. But when the contract with those negociants ran out a few years ago Madame Noellat handed the estate’s management to her then 20-year-old nephew, Maxime Cheurlin. Cheurlin is related to the Jayer family and the Rouget family, both Burgundy dynasties, so winemaking runs in his blood. Cheurlin’s first vintage as head of the estate was the 2010 vintage. The estate has several Premier Cru parcels and also a parcel of Grands Echezeaux planted with 80-year-old vines. Wine Advocate has called Cheurlin “a huge talent, someone destined for stardom.”

Aux Cras is a 7.5 acre Premier Cru vineyard in Nuits-Saints-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is near the northern boundary of Nuits-Saints-Georges, at an average elevation of 270 meters. The soil is limestone and gravel. Some wine writers note that the wines from these northern Nuits-Saint-Georges vineyards have a hint of Vosne about them, since they are so close to the Vosne-Romanee appellation. Because there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saints-Georges, the appellation’s considerable reputation rests on its excellent Premier Crus.

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.