Eye-Opening
2013 Gouges NSG 1er Cru Vaucrains
At this point, it’s pretty clear that Gouges nailed it in 2013.
Since tasting at the domaine, I’ve been buying the wines at every opportunity.
The wines achieve a stunning balance between force and finesse, muscle and elegance. Few other collections distilled the positive attributes of the vintage so well.
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Gouges is one of the legendary producers of Nuits St. Georges, and Vaucrains is undisputedly one of its greatest sites. In Gouges’ hands, Vaucrains is intensely concentrated and extraordinarily vivid, with an ultra-clear transparency. Gouges Vaucrains is on the short list of the top wines of Nuits St. Georges.
While the wine is endowed with the masculine, savage character that we’ve come to expect from Vaucrains, there’s also plenty of lift and liveliness. The palate is wildly textural, with dark fruits and earth-saturated minerality, giving way to an explosive, lengthy finish. Even with all of its sturdiness and density, there’s an undeniable freshness and pristine clarity.
Gouges is known for coming off a bit stern in early drinking, before transforming gloriously in the cellar. There’s no doubt that the Vaucrains has a long future ahead of it. But his 2013’s have proved revelatory in their youth and should be enjoyed now as well as in decades to come.
If Gouges's entire range in 2013 is exciting, his Vaucrains is simply breathtaking. Yields were way down in 2013; Vaucrains was just 18hl/ha. The small amount that was produced is really worth checking out.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits