2010 - Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saints-Georges, Henri Gouges

Bright medium red. Lovely high-toned aromas of currant, dried flowers, stone, tobacco, leather and earth. Silky and concentrated, with terrific lift and noble rusticity to its rich, sharply delineated red fruit flavors. Really saturates the entire mouth without leaving any impression of weight. The tannins are completely enrobed by the wine's velvety texture. This impeccably balanced wine leaves the taste buds vibrating. Boasts the class and texture of a grand cru. I recently opened a bottle of the 1993 and the family resemblance was clear. But the 2010 boasts suaver tannins and greater refinement.

The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Les Saint-Georges bursts from the glass with a melange of black fruit, menthol, spices, licorice and tar. This is the most structured of the 2010s, but like all the wines here, there is a certain early accessibility that I did not expect. Today the 2010 looks like a fairly accessible Les St. Georges. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. I was a bit surprised by the wines I tasted with Gregoire Gouges. Over the last few years Gouges has worked to make some of his entry-level offerings more accessible, but I noted that quality across the board in the 2010s, which is quite out of character not only for the house, but for virtually all 2010s from important sites. Of course the wines are still mostly in barrel. It will be interesting to see the direction the 2010s take over the next year. The 2010s were made from 100% destemmed fruit and aged in French oak barrels, 20% new. The malos were slow in 2010, and finished in June. The wines were racked for the first time in August. Except as noted, I tasted the 2010s from barrel. Gouges made the decision to move some of his wines into tank in order to preserve freshness. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Rich and vibrant with lovely spread of ripe fruit. Really convincing already! Complete. So much fruit! Swamps all else. (JR)