2008 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Perrières 1er Cru

Ripe dark cherry purple plum; nut oils; pungent green herbs; and smoky black tea scent and flavor the Chevillon 2008 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres, which features chalky underlying suggestions that true-believers will associate with its site, as well as a prominence of tannin that will encourages 3-5 years’ wait before enjoying. Cherry pit piquancy further enhances this palpably dense Pinot’s rather austere side, but there is overriding vintage-typical juicy brightness to spare in its sustained finish. I suspect ultimately this will merit following for 10-12 years. Bertrand Chevillon reported the typically late, long malos of the 2008 vintage, and the Chevillon crus were not bottled until last spring – subsequent to my tastings of them, which took place in part assembled from tank and in part from representative selections of barrels. Interestingly, Chevillons report a normal crop level, stressing that vigilance and diligence in vine treatments made for a healthy crop. Most of the musts weighed-in between 12.5% and 13% potential alcohol and chaptalization was minimal. Bernard Chevillon compares his family’s 2008 with their 2001 –an underestimation, I suspect – and his 2007s with the less interesting, structured, fresh-fruited, or consistent 2000s, an analogy that strikes me as apt. (The Bourgogne and Les St.-Georges, incidentally, had been committed right down to the bottle chez Chevillon by the time I got ‘round to tasting 2007s, hence the absence of notes on those.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524