2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains

WINE TALK
1

Back from +2.5 weeks of vacation…without wine! We went to Sardinia this year and focused on relaxing and taking it easy on wine+food. As a “welcome home” we opened a bottle of 2007 Vaucrains from Gouges.

2 hours of slow ox. Goodness me. Floral, spicy, plums, earthy / truffel funk cut with a iron/rust mineral tone. Excellent wine on the nose. It is one of those “this smells an awful lot like a GC”. When it hits the palate it drops back down to 1er Cru. It’s very good but, like a lot of 2007’s, it doesn’t have much stuffing. The tannins are there (it is a Gouges!) but there isn’t a matière to balance. Its a quibble, otherwise it is a brilliant wine.

Drank over 3 hours. My suggestion is to give this 4 hours of slow ox for those considering opening. Additionally I don’t see a lot of upside to holding this wine for the long term. Like many 2007’s it’s developed nicely…no reason to take up the space in your cellar where you could be keeping your 2010’s.

2

Sounds good! I haven’t opened any recent Gouges wines - thanks for the note.

3

Paul,

I haven’t opened any Gouges recently either. This at least gives me some hope. Thanks for the note.

Cheers,
Doug

4

Appreciate the note, Paul. I have two of these and your comments are helpful.

5

The '07s from Gouges are pretty special wines. Thanks for sharing your impressions.

6

Thanks Fellas, I have enjoyed your feedback as much as the wine.

It’s a young wine that delivered a “special” experience usually associated with much older wines (especially in the context of Gouges). Hold for a few years if cellar space isn’t too precious at chez vous…otherwise slow ox for 4 hours and enjoy now.

7

Paul, decided to open one of these tonight. Boy, this is good and your read on the wine is appreciated. To add with your thoughts, here are mine. Have a great weekend.

  • 2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (8/9/2014)
    I bought these 3 years ago, so after a recent positive note on this from Paul Clark (with advice of 4 hours of air to enjoy), I thought I’d take a run at a bottle. Opened this about 2.5 hours ago, to slow ox and put on a light chill. This will go to dinner in a few hours but having a go at this now, perfect temp and burg stem. I enjoy structure, younger wines and my palate seems to smooth out both in terms of how I perceive them both, FWIW. This has great zing to it, an energy of red cherry and mineral in the core of the wine. Middle weight, a sappy, sweet edge to the fruit, herb and light pine. There is still some tartness in the finish here and this is a quality I find refreshing in pinot noir. All taken together, this is drinking spot on and will look to killing this over dinner later, a bottle that won’t make it to Day 2!

Posted from CellarTracker

8

The '07 Pruliers has also delivered some good drinking once the reductive character blew off. Any of that on les Vaucrains?

9

No reduction what so ever on the Vaucrains. Clean as a whistle. Thanks for the reference point on Pruliers.

10

Thanks for the note Paul! Today the 2011 Domaine Henri Gouges Bourgogne excellent for it’s level …