1997 Domaine Prieure-Roch Nuits-St.-Georges 1er Cru

Domaine Prieure-Roch was established in 1988 when Henry-Frédéric Roch exercised the right of first refusal on a few acres of famous vineyards in Romanee Saint-Vivant and purchased the land. As with so much in Burgundy, the story of these vineyards is intertwined with famous domaines and legendary winemaking families. Henry-Frédéric Roch is the nephew of Lalou Bize-Leroy, one of Burgundy’s most successful and colorful winemakers, and Roch is also a co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Roch enlarged his holdings and today he has 35 acres of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and villages parcels in Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saints-Georges. Yannick Champ is winemaker.

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.