Domaine Georges NOELLAT -- 2013s from Cask and a 2012 from Bottle

Domaine Georges NOELLAT (Vosne-Romanée)

2013s from Cask

I first visited this estate in 2012 to taste the 2011s on a tip that young Maxime Cheurlin had taken over and was doing impressive things. The estate is blessed with extremely old vines and holdings in great vineyards. Two years later, the results of the most recent vintage confirm that what I tasted of the earlier vintage was not just a one-time success.

Harvesting began on October 6. About 15% of the (small) crop was eliminated by triage. All grapes were destemmed. Maxime said that malolactic fermentations were not late here.

2013 Nuits-Saint-Georges

The wine shows strawberry fruit and is light, elegant, and long. (85-89)

2013 Vosne-Romanée

The estate owns parcels in five different lieux-dits around Vosne-Romanée. For the moment, the fifth is sold off, and this wine consists of grapes from La Jacquine, Champs Perdrix, Hautes-Maizières, and Vigneux. The wine shows Vosne spice in the nose and mouth. The red fruit in the mouth is pure, and the wine is medium-light with just a touch of minerality. The texture shows classic Vosne velvet. (88-92)

2013 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru –  Les Chaumes

This plot is located just upslope from the cellars and down slope from La Tâche. The wine is dark, dense, intense, concentrated, and velvety with round tannins and overall sensuality. It is excellent Chaumes. (91-94)

2013 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru  –  Les Petits Monts

This wine comes from a plot that is excellently-situated, just above Richebourg and Rouget’s Vosne-Cros Parantoux. The wine is edgier and lighter than the Chaumes with redder fruit – as one would expect from its position higher up and with shallower soils. The wine is energetic and mineral. (91-94)

2013 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru  –  Aux Boudots

The wine shows a smooth, creamy texture with length and spiciness typical of Boudots. 60-70% new wood here. (90-93)

2013 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru  –  Aux Cras

Noëllat’s vines here are just below those of Bruno Clavelier. The wine shows a little more structure than the Boudots. The texture is creamy and the fruit fresh and dark. (91-95)

2013 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru  –  Les Beaux Monts

Yields here were 25 hl/ha, one of the estate’s highest in 2013, and for 100 year-old vines which are inherently low-yiedling, an excellent result. The wine is incisive with Beaux Monts violets, good purity, energy, and structure. This wine is not massive, though; it is a sprinter, not a shot putter. 100% new oak here, but the wine can take it. (91-95)

2013 Echézeaux

The vines for this wine are in the Cruots/Vignes Blanches lieu-dit. Other estates located there include Rouget (in part), Lamarche (in part), Grivot (almost all), Arnoux-Lachaux (in part), and Comte Liger-Belair (in part) – some rather impressive names. Maxime used a little whole cluster fruit in this wine to give length and freshness. The resulting wine is mineral, dark, and nervy; but if the Beaux Monts was a sprinter, this is one with a little more endurance to it that runs the 400 or 1500 meters. The wine is quite racy, but less sensual than some Echézeaux. All new wood on this wine. (92-96)

2013 Grands-Echézeaux

The wine shows the smoky, licorice scents typical of Grands-Echézeaux. The mouth shows concentration and medium-weight with crystalline red fruit. Very successful. All new oak here. (93-96)

2012 from Bottle

2012 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru  –  Aux Boudots

From a bottle that had been opened the previous evening. The wine shows dark plum fruit, the creamy texture typical of Boudots, purity, and good length. 94/A