Bouchard Père & Fils : Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru "Les Cailles" Domaine 2020

A dense, brooding red highlighted by black cherry, blackberry, plum, chocolate and toasty oak aromas and flavors. Reveals beefy tannins, which quickly make their presence felt as this tightens up on the finish. Vibrant acidity holds this all together. Best from 2026 through 2045. 175 cases imported.

Bouchard has one hectare of vines in premier cru Les Cailles, very close to Les St-Georges. The stony soils at the top of the slope and the small combe combine to produce a wine with silky, fragrant aromatics and an almost savoury note atop the lovely, ripe cherry fruit and floral notes. Aged in 30% new wood, Frédéric’s team is also experimenting with fermentation in glass carboys. Delicious and slightly exotic.

For Nuits-Saint-Georges, this is both fragrant (notes of violet and amarena cherry) and silky. Stacks of fine tannins, wrapped in generous fruit on the ample palate. The acidity may be on the low side, but those tannins give the long finish clear contours. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru has an opulent and quite alcoholic bouquet, very Mediterranean in style. A touch of peppermint emerges with aeration. The palate is rich and toasty, with black fruit laced with white pepper. It’s tarry and (again) more akin to a wine from southern Italy than Burgundy. The finish is marked by heat. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

More complex and more expressive on the nose than Porrets, but still a little austere, and less harmonious than the best previous Côte de Beaune.

Deep, brooding red berries with a hint of smoke are succeeded by sweet spices on the nose. The palate is focused and wound with an intense core of cherry, rhubarb and sweet spice. Although currently displaying a great balance of fruit and texture, the wine can benefit from cellar aging through 2030.