2023 Nuits St Georges Aux Bas de Combes

Aromas of orange, dark berries, vine smoke and spices introduce the 2023 Nuits-Saint-Georges Au Bas de Combe, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's lively and saline. This is another strong set of wines from Charles Van Canneyt—but that won't surprise readers familiar with this estate's consistent excellence. Van Canneyt has had the reins here for over a decade now, and his approach has crystalized: the predominantly destemmed fruit, retained intact, is fermented in cement tanks for a classical maceration of two to three weeks. Élevage is in barrels now predominantly sourced from Cavin, with Cadus in a supporting role, and lasts fully 18 months in the domaine's cold cellar, with the exception of the Bourgogne Rouge, which is bottled before harvest. These uncomplicated methods, combined with an enviable palette of appellations planted with notably old vines, produce elegant, charming wines with impressive substance and aging potential. I've been buying them for my own cellar since my student days, so this is an address I warmly recommend.

A more reserved nose somewhat grudgingly reveals its aromas of spicy red and dark cherry with more evident earth and floral wisps. The sleek and exceptionally punchy middle weight flavors exude a subtle minerality that adds a sense of lift to the moderately austere, balanced and complex finish that is sneaky long. This is an excellent Nuits villages and well-worth checking out. Drink 2031.

The 2023 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Bas de Combes 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet featuring hints of blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, crushed stone and a touch of incense that springs from the glass. The palate is saline and medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, crisp tannins, and touches of orange pith and cassis lingering on the finish. This is lovely. Charles van Canneyt is a bit stressed. His plane was delayed from San Sebastián, which meant a last-minute rejigging of my afternoon schedule. The silver lining is that it allowed more time, since his was my last visit of the day. Not only could I taste the wines from Hudelot-Nöellat, but also the first three wines from his Domaine des Chezeaux project. This is going forward now that negotiations with Laurent Ponsot reached an amicable conclusion, and I will taste the extended range next year. "We knew it would be a generous vintage, but we weren't expecting quantities like this," van Canneyt admits. "We did a green harvest in some vineyards, mostly in the Bourgogne Rouge and one or two in Chambolle with respect to the younger vines. This helped control yields. We had very warm weather during harvest, so we had to pick early. We began on September 11. There are a lot of differences between producers [in terms of when to pick]. We had to be quick, as the sanitary conditions were declining, but fortunately we have a large team of 50 pickers plus 15 carriers. I decided to do a saignée, which is something my grandfather used to do. I was a bit nervous at first. We removed the riper juice to keep grapes with more acidity, and this helped to naturally concentrate the wines, which is easier to extract. Everything is destemmed as usual, with aging in a maximum of 50% new oak for the Grand Crus. Some of the malos finished just two weeks ago, and I added some SO2 afterwards. I am happy because the wines are ripe but not overripe, refreshing compared to 2019 and 2022. They will probably drink earlier, but the balance means that they should age well."