The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges is the first wine in this lineup that shows the structure of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, minerals, graphite and black cherries are woven into a textured fabric of notable class. I especially like its energy and drive. A precise, finely-chiseled finish rounds things out nicely. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. I was a bit surprised by the wines I tasted with Gregoire Gouges. Over the last few years Gouges has worked to make some of his entry-level offerings more accessible, but I noted that quality across the board in the 2010s, which is quite out of character not only for the house, but for virtually all 2010s from important sites. Of course the wines are still mostly in barrel. It will be interesting to see the direction the 2010s take over the next year. The 2010s were made from 100% destemmed fruit and aged in French oak barrels, 20% new. The malos were slow in 2010, and finished in June. The wines were racked for the first time in August. Except as noted, I tasted the 2010s from barrel. Gouges made the decision to move some of his wines into tank in order to preserve freshness.Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

The 2009 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Porrets St. Georges reveals striking perfume and layers of silky, textured fruit. All of the elements meld together beautifully as this refined, elegant wine shows off its considerable pedigree. The Clos des Porrets St. Georges was bottled March 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. 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

Closed nose with some reduction and nice cherry fruit. Plenty of structure here but four square, with reasonable concentration. At a very raw stage.