Domaine Henri Gouges and Maison Henri Gouges (Nuits-St-Georges) -- 2022 tasted from bottle and from drawn-off cask samples, and a small vertical of Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
The vintage here was not as easy as it was at many other addresses in Burgundy. Most producers I’ve been visiting have indicated that the yields were generous (35-40 hl/ha and above), here we often have lower yields, frequently accompanied by higher alcohols, and often without the freshness and precision that I find in so many other cellars that I am visiting.
As you can also see below, there is somewhat earlier bottling here — many of the wines are in bottle already (indicated by a single note score, whereas those not in bottle are given a range).
The 2022 estate red wines:
2022 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
Smooth, creamy, round tannins. Blackberry jam fruit. Hot vintage style. From vines averaging 50 years in age, harvested 8 September, 38 hl/ha yield. 20% new wood, 13% alcohol. 86/B
2022 Bourgogne - Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguettes
Fresher, nice blackberry and raspberry fruit, enough acidity. Medium-weight. 30-40 year-old vines, harvested 8 September, 21 hl/ha yield, 20% new oak, 12.5% alcohol. 88/A
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges
Fairly dense, dark, somewhat earthy and muddy fruit. Like a combination of the previous two; not the freshness of the Hautes-Côtes. Some layering here. Round tannins. 60 year-old vines. Harvested 7 September, 25 hl/ha yield, 25% new oak. 87/B
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
High alcohol is not overly noticeable. Smooth, round, some vanillin, new worldish, not much Chaignots character here — a shame to me as this is a vineyard that I very much like. 40 year-old vines, harvested 6 September, 35 hl/ha yield, 15% new oak, 14% alcohol. (86-88)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chênes Carteaux
Good purity and freshness. Precise red berry fruits, some liveliness and energy in this wine. 70-80 year-old vines, harvested 3 September, 20 hl/ha yield, 15% new oak, 13.0% alcohol. 90+/B+
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges
Rich, in the higher alcohol style. Dark, slightly smoky fruit, a touch of heat on the finish. A bit of stoniness to the texture. 50-60 year-old vines, harvested 4 September, 35 hl/ha yield, 20% new oak. (86-89)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
Lacking freshness; dark fruits, a touch of cinnamon, creamy texture, new worldish, no Pruliers character. 50-60 year-old vines, harvested 4 September, 22 hl/ha yield, 20% new oak. (86-89)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
Dusty, stony nose. Ripe in the mouth, but less so than most of the previous wines — the minerality of Vaucrains is peeking through. Cassis flavors, power. 500 year-old vines on average, harvest 3 September, 25 hl/ha, 30% new oak. (89-92)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges
Some freshness here. Dark plum fruit, depth, minerality, some precision, good length. A wine that requires concentration but that rewards it. 70 year-old vines, harvested 2 September, 25 hl/ha, 30% new oak. (91-93)
Gouges’s 2022 estate white wines:
2022 Bourgogne blanc
Fairly ripe, but good minerality and stony structure. Some apply fruit. Medium-weight. A good Bourgogne that reflects the Côte de Nuits style for whites. From the famous Pinot Gouges (a type of Pinot Blanc). 40 year-old vines on average, harvested 5 September, 20 h/ha yield, 20% new oak. 13.5% stated alcohol. 87+/A-
2022 Bourgogne 1er Cru La Perrière blanc
Intense. spicy, mineral nose. Broad in mouth, but with some stoniness of structure. Not terribly deep. Some white peach flavor. 80 year-old vines, harvested 29 August, 35 hl/ha, 25% new oak, 14% stated alcohol. 90(+)/B+
Maison Henri Gouges — all purchase of grapes except Cailles and Richemone, which are purchases of wine:
White wines:
2022 Côte de Nuits-Village blanc
Good minerality and stoniness of structure, but also some glossiness. A bit of peach. (86-88)
2022 Montagny 1er Cru (beginning in 2023, these vines will be exploited by Gregory and Antoine Gouges under the label CAVEA)
Ripe, reduced — not in a good state. ?
Red wines:
2022 Côte de Nuits-Village
Minerality, medium-light, not deep, but good length, stoniness. Dark fruits, some layering on the tongue, even. Dark fruits, freshness. (89-91)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges
Minerality, good precision, energy, liveliness. Medium-light body. 91/A
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
Very good minerality, purity, precision, dark fruits, a bit of smokiness, length. Excellent Cailles expression. (93-95)
2022 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru La Richemone
Rounder than Les Cailles, not the same depth, but still attractive. Smooth with the roundness of the Côte de Vosne in Nuits, Length slightly muddy red fruits. (90-92)
2022 Clos de Vougeot
Round, some ripeness, but not too much. Good length and depth, medium-weight, some elegance. (91-93)
2022 Echézeaux
Dense, dark fruits, Smooth, some sensuality in the texture, but lacks depth and complexity of best Echézeaux. (90-93)
Domaine Henri Gouges vertical:
These wines all show where I expected them to be when tasted from barrel the autumn after their harvests.
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
Round, smooth, fairly shut down for now (no surprise), some minerality to red fruits, some stoniness to texture but needs more time to develop. From a challenging and uneven vintage, but one that was a success at Gouges. 14% stated alcohol Lot 292. 92+/A
2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
Freshness, but still not ready to show its all. Dark fruits. 13% stated alcohol. Lot 130. 93(+)/A
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
Dense, dark, some stoniness but more evolved than the 2017. Surprising finesse, some layering. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L228. 93(+)/A