Nuits St Georges, Les Chaignots, 1er Cru, 2005

The Chevillon 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Chaignots boasts a gorgeous aroma of ripe blackberry and red currant with piquant notes of walnut oil, and marrowy meatiness resembling reduced, faintly caramelized pan juices. In the mouth, it displays amazing depth of meat and mineral elements along with persistently tart, juicy and vivid blackberry and red currant. Herbal and fruit pit notes lend a medicinal aspect to the flavors and who wouldnt want this prescription?! The counterpoint of creaminess of texture with persistent brightness, and of meaty depth with high-toned inner-mouth perfume is striking, and the finish showcasing ultra-fine tannins welds together fruit, meat, and mineral with perfect clarity and seamlessness. If further proof were needed that the Chevillons are in a class by themselves among the major Nuits-St.-Georges landholders, they certainly delivered it this year. Like so many other vintners, they reported backing off on pigeage this year and heaven knows, the resultant wines dont lack for concentration. Their Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, Bourgogne, and Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres had all just been sulfured and filtered, so Bertrand Chevillon declined to show them. He was as yet noncommittal, however, about when the other wines would be bottled, although this would probably continue through Spring, and be accompanied by the estates usual light filtration. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.