2012 Domaine Jean Chauvenet Nuits-St.-Georges Les Vaucrains

Domaine Jean Chauvenet is a 25-acre Nuits St. Georges estate with parcels in nine appellations. Since 1994 it has been run by Christophe Drag and his wife Christine. Christine is Jean Chauvenet’s daughter, and the Chauvenet family has been making wine in the area since the 17th century. Vines in the domain’s parcels are an average of 45 years old. Clive Coates has noted that “quality has been fine here for a decade or more. The tannins are more sophisticated, the fruit expression richer and classier, the flavors more complex: all because there is more attention to detail, more control and no stems.”

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.