The 2010 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits is fleshy, ripe and seductive. Clean mineral notes give lift and brightness to a juicy mid-palate layered with expressive dark red berries. The Hautes-Cotes de Nuits has a little more density and aromatic complexity than the Hautes-Cotes de Beaune. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Gilles Jayer’s 2010s are stellar. The harvest stretched into October, late even by the standards of the year. All of the wines were aged in 100% new oak and had not been racked at the time of my tastings. I will report on the 2009s in the April issue. No known American importer.

The 2009 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits is fleshy, seductive and immediate in its charms. In other words, very 2009. The warmth of the vintage comes through nicely in this supple, racy red. The Hautes-Cotes de Nuits is fleshier than the Hautes-Cotes de Beaune, but doesn’t have that wine’s drive or energy. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. No known American importer.

The 2008 Bourgogne-Hautes Cotes de Nuits is a tight, focused wine laced with dark red fruit. The 2008 is a touch on the lean side, but the wine’s freshness and length will shine at the dinner table. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020. This is a strong set of wines from Gilles Jayer. In 2009 the harvest took place from the 16th to the 24th of September. After vinification Jayer leaves the wines in oak with no racking until they are assembled prior to bottling. Jayer uses 100% new oak for all his wines. With the occasional exception of some of the entry-level offerings, the wines handle their new oak admirably well. I also had a chance to taste the 2008s. Aside from the Hautes Cotes de Beaune – which was too reduced to evaluate – the 2008s showed very well. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2005 Hautes Cotes de Nuits – perhaps because of having finished malo sooner, a bit more marked by the new wood than its Beaune counterpart – smells of dried cranberry, sage, resin and sawdust. Sweet yet tart fruit and pungent herbal notes combine with persistent wood notes for an ester-filled, high-toned mouth of what could almost pass for Zinfandel. (I don’t mean that as criticism!) A long, salty, sappy, bright finish manages to invigorate, remain juicy, and draw saliva despite being marked by the oak. In some ways this defies the prevalent darkness of the vintage, indeed it could wake you up in the middle of the night. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.

The purple-colored 2003 Bourgogne-Hautes Cotes de Nuits (red) offers a nose of cassis, plums, and black cherries. While it lacks the density of the previous wine, this effort displays a nuanced flavor profile of sweet blackberries, brambleberries, spices, and notes of pipe tobacco (a trait often found in this estate’s wines). Medium-bodied and firmly structured, it will require cellaring. Drink it between 2008 and 2013. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; (202) tel. 832-9083