Region: Burgundy, France
Vintage: 2022
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
History: The creation of Domaine Henri Gouges was the culmination of 400 years of family grape farming, and it is, in many minds, the top domaine in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Henri formed the domaine in 1920 but was soon discouraged from selling the fruit to négociants. He envisioned a better quality wine; by 1933, he produced, bottled, and sold it directly. He, along with the Marquis d’Angerville from Volnay, was at the forefront of battles against fraud in Burgundy in the 1920s. In the 1930s, Monsieur Gouges was one of the people charged with delineating the crus in Burgundy for the Institut National d’Appellation d’Origine, and he was a member of that regulatory body at its outset. Since the beginning, the domaine has remained an undivided family property. In 1967, Henri’s two sons, Michel and Marcel, succeeded him and added to the estate holdings. Each handed leadership over to one of their sons to bring the domaine to the next stage. Pierre and Christian began the modernization of the vineyards and the winery, which they have now turned over to Pierre’s son, Gregory, and his cousin, Antoine. While the house style has evolved, the primary focus is on better reflecting the terroir in the fruit through organic viticulture. They believe healthy vines produce quality fruit and thus more expressive terroir-driven wines.
Tasting Notes:
Offers lush black cherries, black pepper and light tobacco scents. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy, ripe black fruit laced with blood orange and marmalade. It gains plenty of weight towards the finish, conveying more terroir than the Clos de Vougeot.
