2015 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru 'Ronciere' 0,75l Jean Grivot

The 2015 Nuits Saint-Georges 1er Cru Roncière, aged in 25% new wood, offers an exuberant bouquet of macerated red cherries, orange zest and a touch of quince. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a little compact on the entry and later, gently fanning out with a judicious touch of spice on the finish. Unlike the Aux Lavières, it will require 2-3 years in bottle, but it will be worth waiting for.

(these vines are 65 years old): Bright, dark red. Blackberry and mineral aromas are accented by herbs and mint; seems a bit shallower on the nose than the Vosne-Romanée premier crus that preceded it in my tasting. Shows less sweetness and pliancy as well, but boasts very good inner-mouth aromatic precision and firmness to the cooler flavors of black cherry, mint and anise. The tannins come across as quite firm, but that's partly a function of the fact that there's less buffering fruit here. This wine also displays a slight Mediterranean aspect, and Grivot likes to serve it with fish.

As it should, this presently has an entirely different aromatic profile with its ripe and fresh combination of earth and sauvage characters together with both red and dark currant scents. Here too there is really lovely mouth feel to the tautly muscular flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the energetic, detailed and beautifully persistent finish. This is also admirably seamless and should amply reward extended keeping. Dec 2016, www.burghound.com