2012 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vougeot Les Petits Vougeots

Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noellat is in Vougeot, Burgundy. The 30-acre estate was owned and operated by Alain Hudelot-Noellat for many decades. Today it is run by Alain's grandson Charles, who trained in oenology at Djjon University. Included are grand cru parcels in Clos de Vougeot, Romanee-St.-Vivant and Richebourg. Other plots are mostly premier cru. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that the estate produces “extremely seductive, creamy wines that have a vivid, well-focused, rich fruitiness, and good body.”

Les Petits Vougeots is a 10.5-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Vougeot appellation in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. While most of the appellation is the Grand Cru, there are also several Premier Cru vineyards. Les Petits Vougeots is north of the grand cru vineyard and west of the village. Producers with parcels in Les Petits Vougeots are Bertagna, Alain Hudelot-Noellat and Christian Clerget.

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.