Nuits Saint Georges, Felettig 2014

Two-thirds of the blend for the Nuits AC bottling come from vines on the Prémeaux side of the village, and one-third from the Vosne side. The wine this year was raised in fifty percent new oak, but does not show this at all and tasted blind, I would have guessed more like thirty percent. The bouquet is very refined, reflecting the style of the vintage beautifully in its mélange of cherries, blood orange, a touch of pomegranate, nutskin, a fine base of soil, vanillin oak and a nice touch of fresh herbs in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully soil-driven in personality, with a sappy core, ripe tannins and a very long, gently chewy and youthful finish. This will need a bit of time to blossom, but it will prove to be a supremely elegant bottle of Nuits when it is ready for primetime. 2023-2055+.

The 2014 Nuits-Saint-Georges Village, completely destemmed and matured in 50% new oak, has a well-defined, crisp and focused bouquet -- perhaps the best of Felettig's village crus thanks to its mineral core. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, gently gripping in the mouth with black cherries and cassis fruit on the tightly wound finish, which will require three or four years to soften. But I like the style of this wine, even if I might have just tweaked that new oak downward a little.