Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 1997
(Burgundy, France) - [WS 91]

About the Winery:
Domaine Henri Gouges is, in many minds, the top grower of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Members of the Gouges family have been vineyard proprietors in Nuits for generations and proprietors of the current domaine since 1919. Henri Gouges, along with the Marquis d'Angerville from Volnay, was at the forefront of battles against fraud in Burgundy in the 1920s. In the 1930s, Monsieur Gouges was one of the people charged with the job of delineating the crus in Burgundy for the Institut National d'Appellation d'Origine, and he was a member of that regulatory body at its outset. By 1933, Henri was producing, bottling, and selling his wines directly. In 1967 Henri’s two sons, Michel and Marcel, succeeded him and added to the holdings of the estate. Each of them handed leadership over to one of their sons to bring the domaine to the next stage. Pierre and Christian began the modernization of the vineyards and the winery, which they have now turned over to Pierre’s son, Gregory, and his cousin, Antoine. While the house style has evolved, the main focus is the better reflection of the terroir in the fruit through organic viticulture. They believe that healthy vines produce quality fruit and thus more expressive terroir-driven wines.

About this Wine:
It is the fruit of a blending of 5 climates: the Plateaux, Belles Croix, Fleurières, Brûlées, and the Chaliots, for a surface area of 2 hectares. All of these parcels are located at the south of Nuits Saint Georges, at the start of the hillside, on deep soils, with a blending of clay, alluvium and limestone gravels. These wines are pure and generous, and need a few years before being tasted, to show their true potential.

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Practicing Organic, Biodynamic, Vegan

Ratings & Reviews

91 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Very sweet and ripe-tasting, with an intriguing lead pencil, plum and prune character. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins, it turns attractively chalky and chewy on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2007." - (Jan 2000)