2006 Dominique Laurent Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
Representing just one barrel – vinified entirely with stems – Laurent's 2006 Nuits St.-Georges Les St.-Georges Vieilles Vignes emits high-frequency distilled fruit notes allied to dusty mineral suggestions. Fruit pits and crushed stone underlie the palate and offer harmonious contrast to an almost liqueur-like viscosity and sweetness. Yet, the wine remains persistently juicy and without any trace of heaviness. Its tannins are so fine and the blanket of fruit so plush and silken-textured here that you have to attend carefully to verify the wine's structure. Like the corresponding Vaucrains, this is as yet embryonic. But for purity as well as richness of fruit, youthful mineral intrigue, and finishing penetration and lift, this superbly-concentrated Pinot will be hard to beat in any vintage, and serves as yet another indicator of the genuinely grand cru caliber of its site. Dominique Laurent – whose methodology I attempted to clarify in a bit more detail in my report for issue 171 – purchased fewer wines in 2006 (not all of which I tasted) than he had in 2005, particularly at the lower end of the classificatory spectrum and in the Cote de Beaune. On the other hand, there were some correspondingly sweet opportunities, he noted, to expand acquisitions in top-notch crus due to initial hesitation of many negociants to buy heavily into this vintage. Laurent was highly enthusiastic about the quality of the wines he did raise, which in the glass often proved even more infectious than his enthusiasm – and that's saying something! What's more, although these wines – generally produced in 50-250 case quantities – have a reputation for high prices, most of these 2006s – especially in their upper-echelons – strike me as exhibiting excellent price:quality rapport. While absence of chaptalization and absence of sulfur during the elevage remain constant features this year, less of the wine Laurent purchased and raised from 2006 was vinified with stems than in most years. Vieilles Vignes," incidentally, is used like a brand name chez Laurent, referring to all of his better wines, whereas his "Tradition" line – none of which I tasted – consists of cuvees rendered in slightly larger volumes and exclusively for the French market. Since the words "Vieilles Vignes" are prominently displayed on the label, I have included them as part of each wine's description, although one will often see Laurent's same top wines referred to without that designation. Imported by Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327-0808
Critic scores
David Schildknecht, Vinous
David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate
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Representing just one barrel – vinified entirely with stems – Laurent's 2006 Nuits St.-Georges Les St.-Georges Vieilles Vignes emits high-frequency distilled fruit notes allied to dusty mineral suggestions. Fruit pits and crushed stone underlie the palate and offer harmonious contrast to an almost liqueur-like viscosity and sweetness. Yet, the wine remains persistently juicy and without any trace of heaviness. Its tannins are so fine and the blanket of fruit so plush and silken-textured here that you have to attend carefully to verify the wine's structure. Like the corresponding Vaucrains, this is as yet embryonic. But for purity as well as richness of fruit, youthful mineral intrigue, and finishing penetration and lift, this superbly-concentrated Pinot will be hard to beat in any vintage, and serves as yet another indicator of the genuinely grand cru caliber of its site.||Dominique Laurent – whose methodology I attempted to clarify in a bit more detail in my report for issue 171 – purchased fewer wines in 2006 (not all of which I tasted) than he had in 2005, particularly at the lower end of the classificatory spectrum and in the Cote de Beaune. On the other hand, there were some correspondingly sweet opportunities, he noted, to expand acquisitions in top-notch crus due to initial hesitation of many negociants to buy heavily into this vintage. Laurent was highly enthusiastic about the quality of the wines he did raise, which in the glass often proved even more infectious than his enthusiasm – and that's saying something! What's more, although these wines – generally produced in 50-250 case quantities – have a reputation for high prices, most of these 2006s – especially in their upper-echelons – strike me as exhibiting excellent price:quality rapport. While absence of chaptalization and absence of sulfur during the elevage remain constant features this year, less of the wine Laurent purchased and raised from 2006 was vinified with stems than in most years. Vieilles Vignes," incidentally, is used like a brand name chez Laurent, referring to all of his better wines, whereas his "Tradition" line – none of which I tasted – consists of cuvees rendered in slightly larger volumes and exclusively for the French market. Since the words "Vieilles Vignes" are prominently displayed on the label, I have included them as part of each wine's description, although one will often see Laurent's same top wines referred to without that designation.||Imported by Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327-0808 Wine Advocate.December, 2009