2009 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru "Les Pruliers"

The 2009 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er Cru has a wonderful bouquet with ebullient red cherry, bergamot, crushed stone and light flinty aromas that just soar from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine thread of acidity, fine fruit concentration and yet, there is still a sense of reserve on the finish that is uncommon with the 2009 vintage. Give this two or three more years and it will repay you. Tasted at the Gouges retrospective at La Cabotte. (NM)

As it usually is, this is aromatically more elegant with really lovely spice and game notes that add breadth to the ripe yet cool wild red berry fruit aromas. The rich, pure and quite generous medium-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate concentration as the dry extract stains the palate and pushes the shaping tannins to the background on the solidly persistent finish. While it may just be a case of post-bottling fatigue, this seems to lack the same sense of vibrancy as the Porrets though the elements to age are all present. We'll see what happens with a year or two in bottle. *Outstanding*