The 2008 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Porrets St. Georges comes across as intensely inward and pointed in its dark fruit. The wine blossoms nicely on the mid-palate as the fruit begins to emerge. This shows terrific balance and energy, particularly on the long, polished finish. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. This is a striking set of 2009s from Gouges. The estate is pursuing a slightly updated style in trying to make the entry-level wines more accessible early on. According to Gregoire Gouges the approach to the higher end wines remains the same, which is to say these remain sturdy Burgundies that benefit immensely from cellaring. The harvest at Gouges began on September 15. The fruit was 100% destemmed. Vinification started with a 3 day cold soak (at only modestly cold temperatures) followed by 10-15 days of cuvaison. The wines were racked after the malos, the lees were removed, and the wines were put back into barrel, where they finished (or were finishing) their elevage. All of the wines were aged in 20% new oak barrels.Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802