1997 Denis Mugneret Nuits-St.-Georges Les Saint-Georges

Denis Mugneret was for most of the mid-to-late 20th century the name of the domaine now known as Dominique Mugneret. The 20-acre estate based in Vosne-Romanee was founded in 1935 when Marcel Mugneret created Domaine Marcel Mugneret. As it was passed from father to son, the estate became Domaine Denis Mugneret and then, in the late 1990s when Dominique Mugneret took over, the estate’s name was changed to reflect the new generation at the helm. Today the estate makes wine from 13 Cote de Nuits appellations. It has a Grand Cru parcels in Echezeaux and Romanee-St.-Vivant, and Premier Crus in Nuits St. Georges. There are also village wines. Some 3,125 cases are produced annually.

Les Saint-Georges is a 18.7-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 245 – 260 meters in elevation with an excellent stony, soil that drains well. Coates calls Les Saint-Georges “the best wine of the commune. It is simply the most complete, the most complex, and the most profound.”

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.