Loading lot details…
The October 2016 Distinguished Cellar Auction, Part I
Swipe left for previous · Swipe right for next
1 / 2Lot 136
Estimate: $225
Sold:
This auction has ended. Bidding is closed.
Collection name
Reviews
92+ST
"Bright ruby-red. Expressive, redder aromas of redcurrant and Cuban tobacco. Very suave and very deep; bright acids give the red berry flavors terrific clarity. Wonderful intensity without excess weight. Fresh and very long; tannins are firm but not dry. The Vaucrains offers more ampleur but this is more elegant. Christian Gouges describes his '98s this way: "Very pinot noir, very agreeable, very expressive of terroir. Because the malos took a long time, they gave the wines gras and roundness." The August heat saved the vintage, Gouges adds, allowing the grapes to reach about 12% potential alcohol. And the thick-skinned grapes were able to resist rot during the pre-harvest rain. Gouges did "a minimum of vinification," avoiding overextraction, which he believes would have been especially dangerous in '98. The malolactic fermentations did not finish until the end of August, although Gouges racked the wines last spring (keeping the lees), explaining that he finds that he loses verve more if he racks the wines when the ambient temperature is warm. All of the '98s showed some signs of reduction in November; their fruit flavors should be further sweetened by the racking done just prior to bottling. Gouges pointed out that he has benefitted from the work of his father, who was widely criticized for his wines in the late '70s and early '80s but who had the courage and foresight to replant his vines. Gouges is now profiting from this work, and his wines have been among the finest, most complete examples of Nuits-Saint-Georges since the early '90s."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"Bright ruby-red. Expressive, redder aromas of redcurrant and Cuban tobacco. Very suave and very deep; bright acids give the red berry flavors terrific clarity. Wonderful intensity without excess weight. Fresh and very long; tannins are firm but not dry. The Vaucrains offers more ampleur but this is more elegant. Christian Gouges describes his '98s this way: "Very pinot noir, very agreeable, very expressive of terroir. Because the malos took a long time, they gave the wines gras and roundness." The August heat saved the vintage, Gouges adds, allowing the grapes to reach about 12% potential alcohol. And the thick-skinned grapes were able to resist rot during the pre-harvest rain. Gouges did "a minimum of vinification," avoiding overextraction, which he believes would have been especially dangerous in '98. The malolactic fermentations did not finish until the end of August, although Gouges racked the wines last spring (keeping the lees), explaining that he finds that he loses verve more if he racks the wines when the ambient temperature is warm. All of the '98s showed some signs of reduction in November; their fruit flavors should be further sweetened by the racking done just prior to bottling. Gouges pointed out that he has benefitted from the work of his father, who was widely criticized for his wines in the late '70s and early '80s but who had the courage and foresight to replant his vines. Gouges is now profiting from this work, and his wines have been among the finest, most complete examples of Nuits-Saint-Georges since the early '90s."
Have questions?
The world's most influential fine-wine producer and the benchmark for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone. Its appellation (AOC) system codifies geography, grape and method, and its wines set the global standard for age-worthiness and terroir expression.
Produces the world's most revered Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a mosaic of tiny, terroir-defined climats. Its hierarchy of village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards makes site the ultimate expression of quality.
A thin-skinned, terroir-sensitive red producing perfumed, silky and elegant wines of red-berry fruit and earthy complexity. It reaches its apogee in Burgundy.