Bonjour d’une vieille cave renaissante sous la veille d’une main délicate,
I am delighted to announce my partnership with yet another shining star on the burgundian horizon, that of the 5th generation family estate of Alain Michelot of Nuits St Georges. The domaine has been a stalwart favorite of longtime burg lovers due to the exceptional array of crus that comprise the estate’s 8 hectares of holdings coupled with the pure, unadulterated house style; there is perhaps no better place to taste through the diversity and contrast of Nuits St Georges in one cellar than chez Michelot. Whereas the substantial raw materials were never in question under father Alain’s regime, the wines could be a bit foresquare and backwards; they would make great sturdy old bones, but would rarely flatter in youth. Daughter Elodie, with her gentle nature shining through in her winemaking hand, has increasingly brought succulent finesse to the texture of the wines. Their charm and transparency is much more apparent in youth, without sacrificing structure and longevity. It seems that this sweet and soft spoken woman has found other perhaps paradoxical ways to make some noise by turning up the quiet…
In his wonderful and benchmark tome, “The Wines of Burgundy”, Clive Coates begins his introduction to each village by listing all of the 1er and Grand crus in it, as well as his “recommended sources” for the best of the best in each cru. Literally every single one of the 6 different Nuits St Georges 1ers offered below were chosen by Clive Coates as reference point bottings that most fully express the nobility of the cru in question. In a few cases, like the minuscule Champs Perdrix and Richemone 1ers on the Vosne side, Alain Michelot is the ONLY recommended source. Thanks to Elodie’s contributions, he awarded the estate a one-star rating, alongside the likes of the legendary Robert Chevillon, with both estates being the only recommended sources for all three of the oft-referenced most important 1er crus of Nuits: les Cailles, les Vaucrains, and les St Georges. It’s about time that people finally catch on to what Coates, John Gilman, and other insiders have been talking about for years…
“…there is no doubt that the 2012 vintage chez Michelot will prove to be one of historic dimensions.”
“I fully imagine that my scores will ultimately prove to be a bit on the conservative side for a great many of these wines, as the cuvées that were entirely on form and happy to be tasted clearly indicate that Elodie Michelot has hit the ball out of the park in 2012! This is a domaine that is currently at the top of its game and making just superb wines.”
-John Gilman of View from the Cellar
What follows is a treasure trove offering of Elodie’s knockout 2012s, as well as a few library wines from the beautiful and contrasting 2011 and 2010 vintages. In addition to all 6 of the Nuits 1ers being outstanding exemplars of their respective sites (mixed cases of twosies anyone?), their newly acquired parcel in the Clos Vougeot has outrageously good placement and raw materials. I’m thrilled to offer here an amazing vertical of the first 3 vintages produced, one that Gilman reveres as one of the 4 or 5 greatest Clos Vougeots made by anyone…i’ve included Gilman’s commentary on each bottling, as a frame of reference. In my opinion, this is a backup-the-truck kind of offering in its outrageous substance and value. I’ve even dug into the MAGNUMS…
LE MENU:
2012 Bourgogne rouge $22 in 750, $49 in Magnum - From two parcels in southern NSG, one from very young vines called les Maladières (just below Ronciere 1er), the other from 55 year old vines in les Chaliots a smidge more to the south. I’m always a huge fan of great Bourgognes that deliver village specific tipicité at everyday affordable prices. For value hounds, HEADS UP, and don’t say I didn’t tell you so!
“The 2012 Bourgogne rouge from Domaine Michelot was showing pretty well at the time of my visit, offering up lovely purity and succulence in its red fruity bouquet of cherries, blood orange, smoke, a dollop of cocoa and a nice base of soil. On the palate the wine is fullish, focused and shows good mid-palate depth, with just a touch of tannin, nice balance and perfectly sound length and grip on the bright and classy finish. A really fine example. 2014-2024. 87+ points”
2012 Morey St Denis villages $35 - From a single lieu dit les Cognées, just below the Bas Chenevery. This has classic Morey character in spades (in blue/black fruited fullness and savoriness), and is quite a value in villages level Cotes de Nuits wine. And people complain that burgundy is too expensive…then pass on things just like this. Shame on you. 
“Like the Bourgogne bottling, the 2012 Morey AC had finished up its malo on the early side in the cellars here and was really showing very well indeed at the time of my visit. The wine offers up a deep and very sappy nose of red and black cherries, cocoa, gamebirds, a lovely base of dark soil tones and a nice touch of violets in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and sappy at the core, with lovely transparency, modest tannins and excellent focus and grip on the long and soil-driven finish. This is a very classy village wine. 2018-2035. 89 points”
2012 Nuits St Georges villages Vieilles Vignes $39 - From a single parcel in northern NSG, la Petite Charmotte, which sits just below the 1er les Bousselots. The vines were planted over 60 years ago, and in raw substance and depth, this is a terrific classic example of NSG.
“The old vine Nuits St. Georges AC had only recently finished up its malo and still had a bit of CO2 to work out of solution on the palate. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to see that this is going to be a lovely example, as the nose offers up scents of red and black cherries, nutskin, a lovely base of soil and a complex, smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very nicely soil-driven, with a good core of pure fruit, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy and primary finish. This will be excellent, but it was really still too close to the end of its malo to give it a single digit score. 2019-2035+. 89-90 points”
2012 Morey St Denis 1er cru les Charrieres $49 - Nestled between the Clos des Ormes to the north, and Faconnieres to the south, just below the Clos de la Roche. This rarely seen bottling lies in the heart of the Morey’s tenderloin, producing classic and noble darker fruited Morey wines that truly drink like baby Clos de la Roches.
"I really like the les Charrières bottling chez Michelot, as this is a very underrated Morey premier cru (of course, that could be said for almost all of the premier crus in Morey these days!) and I am sure that the 2012 is going to be a superb bottle. However, it was fairly reduced at the time of my visit, as the malo was quite late, and really not too happy about being disturbed. The nose under the reduction is quite fine, offering up scents of red and black cherries, cocoa, incipient notes of venison and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, fullbodied, pure and nicely soil-driven, with fine-grained tannins and lovely length and grip on the focused finish. This will be very, very good and if it does not ultimately prove to score at the top of its range (or higher) in the fullness of time, I would be shocked. 2021-2040+. 89-91+ points "
Northern Nuits St Georges 1er crus: These three 1ers are found on the northern Vosne side of NSG, more defined by the finesse and charm of the Queen to the north than the sturdy earthy qualities of the south. I adore northern NSG 1ers, and find them to be some of the greatest values in the entire Cotes de Nuits. All 3 of these wines were chosen by Coates as “recommended sources” exhibiting the purest expression of each site’s character. For the Richemone and Aux Champs Perdrix, Michelot is the ONLY go-to source.
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru Aux Chaignots $55 in 750ml, $119 in Magnum - Midslope, just south of la Richemone, aux Chaignots is a bit of a half-way house between the airy spiciness of the Vosnean NSG 1ers and the earthier, sturdy wines most commonly associated with NSG. A go to reference point bottling for this cru alongside the Gibourg sisters, Gerard Mugneret, and Robert Chevillon.
“Happily, the 2012 Chaignots was completely on form and just singing at the time of my visit, as I was getting tired of extrapolation. The bouquet is a deep, pure and sappy mélange of cherries, red plums, cocoa, a beautifully complex base of soil, woodsmoke and a gentle touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite sappy at the core, with lovely purity and soil signature, suave, fine-grained tannins and outstanding backend length and grip on the perfectly balanced finish. A really lovely bottle that shows just how good the more cranky wines in the cellar are going to be when they recover a bit from their rackings and late malos. 2020-2045+. 91+ points”
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru la Richemone $55 in 750ml, $119 in Magnum - This is right in the tenderloin section of the hillside, abutting NSG les Cras. When you look at the Vosne hillside, you can see this very very steep little section with a marked rocky fall line, and it is here that we find la Richemone. As good as it gets, folks!!! Don’t let the lack of a number score (ugh, scores…sigh) deter you from this one…This is THE go-to source for this bottling.
“The malolactic fermentation on the la Richemone 2012 had not even quite finished up at the time of my visit, and I would not even try to guess about this wine in the midst of its malo. I should note that it was very long, showed excellent soil signature and plenty of pure, crunchy fruit tones and it should be an excellent wine.”
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru Aux Champs Perdrix $59 in 750, $129 in Magnum - From the very top of the slope where it is virtually all limestone, this is an upper slope rockheads delight. I adore upper slope wines, and this is a knockout example as to why…fwiw, this is the single smallest 1er cru in all of NSG at .73 hectares, with the Michelot being THE go-to source.
"The Champs Perdrix 2012 had finished up its malolactic fermentation a few weeks before my visit and was showing very good potential, but it still had a bit of the “memory” of the malic acid about it on the backend and I am sure that folks who may have visited the domaine to taste several weeks after my visit will have been treated to a wine of lovely textural nuances that simply were not possible to read in November. The bouquet is deep, pure and very fine, offering up scents of red and black cherries, pomegranate, gamebird and a lovely base of stony soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a lovely texture to the ripe tannins, fine focus, but a bit of edginess showing up on the long finish from the recentlycompleted malo. This is going to be excellent, without a doubt. 2022-2050. 91-92 points "
Southern Nuits St Georges 1er crus: The Big 3 of les Cailles, les Vaucrains, and the Kingly les St Georges are the most celebrated in all of NSG. Michelot has terrific holdings in all 3, and all 3 are knockouts. Go big, folks. You’ll thank me later.
Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Cailles: Les Cailles is always the most taut, mineral, and airy of the big 3. On many many occasions, I prefer it most (once again, i’m a rockhead at heart) for its stoniness allied to airyness. Their vines are 46 and 76 years old, offering quintessential character and depth. As good as it gets…
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Cailles $59 in 750ml, $129 in Magnum
“The 2012 les Cailles from Elodie Michelot was also completely on form and showing beautifully at the time of my visit. The deep, pure and very classy nose wafts from the glass in blend of red plums, cherries, a touch of blood orange, cocoa, nutskin, a fine signature of soil, woodsmoke and a gently floral topnote that cannot decide if it is violets or roses. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and quite plush and sappy on the attack, with a rock solid core, lovely focus and grip and superb mineral drive on the long and ripely tannic finish. This is a terrific example of les Cailles! 2020-2050. 93 points”
2011 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Cailles $55 in 750ml
“The Michelots’ parcel of les Cailles is situated alongside that of Bertrand Chevillon’s in the heart and soul of the vineyard, though the Chevillon vines are in excess of eighty-five years of age and a portion of the Michelots’ parcel was replanted in 1968 (though the other section dates from 1938), so there is not quite the same old vine sappiness in their version. The 2011 Michelot Cailles is excellent, offering up a lovely and quite sappy bouquet of cherries, red plums, nutskins, incipient notes of gamebird and a beautifully complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and potentially very elegant, with lovely focus and mid-palate depth, fine-grained tannins and excellent length and grip on the classy finish. The inherent elegance of this fine premier cru are already very much in evidence here. (Drink between 2020-2050) 92 points”
2010 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Cailles $129 in Magnum
“The Michelots’ parcel of les Cailles, right alongside that of Bertrand Chevillon’s, is as fine a location in this great vineyard as one could ask for. The 2010 is a beautiful example of the vintage, offering up a closed and classy aromatic blend of cherries, blood orange, gamebirds, a great base of soil tones, a bit of Nuits nuttiness and a nice topnote of fresh herbs. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and intensely flavored, with a good core, ripe tannins and lovely focus and balance on the ripely tannic and soil-driven finish. This will take a good decade or more of bottle age to fully blossom, but it will age very gracefully and will be a lovely drink. (Drink between 2022-2060) 92+ points”
Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Vaucrains: les Vaucrains is upper slope par excellence, with very poor stony soil, hence the vineyard’s name: “Vaut rien”= worth nothing= Vaucrains. It is usually darker in color and both a bit more beasty and dense then les Cailles and les St Georges. The Michelot example is as good as it gets…
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Vaucrains $59 in 750ml, $135 in Magnum
“The 2012 Vaucrains chez Michelot still had just a touch of CO2 in it from the recently finished malolactic fermentation, but its potential was self-evident. The bouquet is deep, pure and nascently complex, offering up scents of black cherries, plums, pomegranate, cocoa, a beautifully complex base of soil, gamebird and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine
is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with a rock solid core, great backend mineral drive, fine-grained tannins and excellent grip on the long and still quite primary finish. This is going to be excellent and at least the equal of the marvelous les Cailles in 2012. 2022-2050+. 93- 94 points”
2011 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Vaucrains $59 in 750ml, $129 in Magnum
"Like the domaine’s parcel in Les St. Georges, the Michelot vines in Vaucrains are coming into their prime at age thirty-five and the 2011 has really turned out beautifully. The deep, black fruity and properly reserved nose offers up scents of black cherries, gamebirds, deep, dark soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and quite closed and primary in personality, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, ripe tannins and a very long, chewy and soil-driven finish. This will be excellent, but give it time. (Drink between 2022-2050) 93+ points "
2010 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les Vaucrains $59 in 750ml
“The inherent elegance of the 2010 vintage beautifully dovetails with the terroir of Vaucrains this year, and the Domaine Michelot version is a stunning wine in the making. The deep, pure and very refined nose offers up a complex and very classy blend of red and black cherries, blood orange, incipient notes of game, nutskins and a very complex base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and absolutely rock solid at the core, with firm, ripe tannins, excellent focus, tangy acids and great length and grip on the well-balanced and very classy finish. A beautiful bottle of Vaucrains. 94 points”
Nuits St Georges 1er cru les St Georges: The unofficial if-there-were-a-grand-cru-in-NSG-it-would-be-this-one, the Michelot version is outstanding. In true to burgundian fashion, it is the complexity and completeness of les St Georges that renders it a Grand cru in all but name. Its contains three different rock varieties, allying the strengths of the other big 3 crus in one supremely elegant and deep package. My allocation is quite limited, so if you’re looking to cherry pick, it won’t work so well. Support broadly, and no problem getting some…
2012 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les St Georges $79 in 750ml, $199 in Magnum
“The 2012 Les St. Georges from Elodie Michelot was singing every bit as much as the marvelous les Cailles at the time of my visit and this is a great wine in the making. The deep, pure and sappy nose wafts from the glass in a classic blend of cherries, red plums, a touch of blood orange, cocoa, nutskin, and a simply superb base of complex minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and again, strikingly pure on the attack, with a bottomless core, ripe, very fine-grained tannins and outstanding length and grip on the perfectly focused and balanced finish. This is a very red fruity rendition of young Les St. Georges (more akin to the 2012 version at Domaine Chevillon than the more classically black fruity rendition chez Gouges) and is going to be a reference point wine from Domaine Michelot for decades to come! 2022-2060. 94 points”
2011 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les St Georges $69
“Elodie Michelot noted that the domaine’s parcel in Les St. Georges had been replanted in 1978, so the vines are now over thirty years of age and in her estimate, they are just now starting to deliver the depth and intensity that is possible in this great terroir. The 2011 is an excellent wine, offering up a stunning and sappy nose of red and black cherries, a touch of nutskin, red plums, a very complex base of soil and a very floral topnote that is redolent of both roses and violets. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a sappy core of fruit, beautiful transparency, suave tannins and a very, very long, focused and classy finish. A beautiful wine in the making. 2020-2050. 93 points”
2009 Nuits St Georges 1er cru les St Georges $179 in Magnum, 3 available
“he 2009 Michelot Les St. Georges is another absolutely stellar example of the vintage in the making. The beautiful and sappy nose soars from the glass in a blaze of cherries, blood orange, woodsmoke, gamebirds, kaleidoscopically complex soil tones and a pungent topnote of roses. On the palate the iwne is full-bodied, deep and very pure on the attack, with a sappy core of fruit, ripe, suave and substantial tannins, superb focus and balance and outstanding grip on the very long and soil-driven finish. An utterly complete and compelling example of Les St. Georges in the making (Drink between 2020-2060 94+ points”
Clos Vougeot: This is as good as it gets in Clos Vougeot, once revered as the single greatest cru in Burgundy alongside la Romanee Conti. The Michelots started renting this parcel from the Haegelen Jayer family after Alfred retired in 2010. It is up against the southwest wall of the Clos in the Petit Maupertui portion of the Clos, just below Grands Echezeaux. It makes tiny tiny berries with awesome natural concentration, something that I got to experience when I harvested there in 2011 with Thibault Liger Belair. Elodie has generously offered me a weeee smidge of each vintage, with only 75-100 cases made in each vintage (i.e. 3-4 barrels), so GO FOR IT…fwiw there are over 80 proprietors in the Clos Vougeot, so to say that the Michelot example is of the finest 4 or 5 is REALLY SAYING SOMETHING.
2012 Clos Vougeot Grand cru $159 in 750ml, $349 in Magnum!
“The third vintage of Clos Vougeot from the Michelot family is a legend in the making. Like the Vaucrains, there was still just a touch of CO2 remaining in the wine from its fairly recently-completed malo, but the majestic quality of this wine was very easy to read. The great nose shows of superb depth and purity in its mix of red and black cherries, woodsmoke, a marvelously complex base of soil tones, cocoa and a hint of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and bottomless to the core, with wonderful sappiness aligned to striking transparency. The finish is very, very long, perfectly focused and balanced and defined by finegrained tannins and superb grip. This is one of the very best Clos Vougeots produced today and is a must addition to any well-stocked Burgundy cellar. 2022-2060+. 95-96 points.”
2011 Clos Vougeot Grand cru $139 in 750ml, $299 in Magnum!
"As I noted last year, the vines for the new Michelot Clos Vougeot lie right below Grands Echézeaux at the top of the slope on the southern side of the Clos and were planted in 1972. While this is only the second vintage of this wine to be produced chez Michelot, I do not think it is too early to state that this is one of the top four or five examples of Clos Vougeot being currently produced in the Côte d’Or, and the 2011 is a superb follow-up to the inaugural 2010. The beautiful and reserved nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red berries, cherries, coffee, gamebirds, a beautifully complex base of soil, a hint of violet and a judicious base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure, with a fine core of fruit, superb backend energy, refined tannins and excellent length and grip on the bouncy, focused and suave finish. Very high class Clos Vougeot! (Drink between 2022-2070) 95 points "
2010 Clos Vougeot Grand cru $159 in 750ml, $349 in Magnum
"There are three and a half barrels of this glorious Clos Vougeot in the Michelot cellars in its inaugural vintage. The vines were planted in 1972 and are now at their prime at forty years of age. The deep and beautifully sappy nose soars from the glass in a blend of red and black cherries, blood orange, raw cocoa, woodsmoke, gamebirds, a beautiful base of soil and just a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with a suave profile, beautiful transparency, a great core, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the complex and stunning finish. This is only the first vintage for the Michelot Clos Vougeot, but it is pretty hard not to assume that this is going to be one of the reference point examples of this lovely grand cru terroir for many, many years to come. The 2010 Michelot Clos Vougeot is a brilliant wine. (Drink between 2022-2075) 96 points "
EH, BEN, VOILA!!!
I can’t tell you how happy I am to represent the Michelots. Elodie is as sweet and genuine as they come. It is wonderful to see good things coming to good people.
Requests will be taken during a one week presell, after which pricing will rise 10-15%. These are the best prices one will EVER see stateside, so don’t dally. Upon confirmation, payment will due in full via check or cc+%. PLEASE NOTE: Preference will be given to balanced orders (villages and Bourgogne included) for the les St Georges…
Wines will depart Nuits in early November, arriving at the end of November/early December.
As always, with any questions or interests: rob@downtoearthwines.net or you can PM here on Berserkers.
CHEERS TO THE FAMILY OF ALAIN MICHELOT, PROUD AND HUMBLE BASTIONS OF THE DIVERSITY AND NOBILITY OF NUITS ST GEORGES!!!