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Jean Chauvenet, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Les Poulettes”

Other, France 2014 (750mL)
$89.00
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Jean Chauvenet, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Les Poulettes”

Today’s wine is one of the most “insider” Burgundy wines we’ve offered this year. Even the most obsessive Burgundy geeks may never have heard of the “Les Poulettes” Premier Cru in Nuits-Saint-Georges, as there are very few producers bottling wine from it. As for Jean Chauvenet, there was a lengthy period during which these classic, old-school wines were not available in the US—so, despite being linked back up with one of the premier Burgundy importers in the country, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, the Chauvenet lineup continues to fly under the radar. In a normal year, we probably wouldn’t have gotten a crack at a wine this rare—Chauvenet’s parcel in Les Poulettes measures less than half an acre—but of course, this year has been anything but normal.


On top of that, this powerful, traditionally styled, extremely well-priced Nuits-Saint-Georges is from 2014, my favorite red Burgundy vintage in recent memory. It is just beginning to blossom and has many, many years of positive evolution ahead of it. When I was first learning about Burgundy wine, this was the style of red that authors such as Clive Coates and Jasper Morris held up as the classical model: well-structured, woodsy Pinot Noirs with a hint of rusticity and the capacity for extended aging. If you want to drink exceptionally well and look extra-smart while doing so, this ’14 is the perfect choice—but you have to act fast. Up to six bottles per customer until our allocation sells out!


The “Les Poulettes” Premier Cru, so named for the assorted small birds that nest in the woodlands nearby, is nestled among Nuits-Saint-Georges’ most prized sites, including “Les Saint-Georges,” “Perrières,” “Vaucrains,” and “Cailles.” Chauvenet’s wine from Les Poulettes is one of the few bottlings you’re likely to find, and it is one of seven Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Crus Chauvenet produces—arguably the most distinguished lineup of any producer in the village. Stylistically, these wines are what experts would describe as archetypal Nuits-Saint-Georges wines: dark fruited, muscular, even a little forbidding in their youth. One taster went so far as to call them “Barolo-like” in character—and I wouldn’t disagree. 



Chauvenet’s extended absence from the US market may explain why a wine this serious continues to stay well below three figures in price; despite being one of the true stalwarts of Nuits-Saint-Georges, other domaines have passed it by in terms of name recognition. The 2014 vintage marked Chauvenet’s return to our shores, and they couldn’t have picked a better one to kick back off with: This is a wine of impressive depth and dimension, loaded with heady aromatics, sumptuous fruit, and deep minerality. To me, it just screams “Burgundy!”



We’re told that the Chauvenet estate is well on its way to organic certification for its vineyards, which total 9.5 hectares, almost entirely within Nuits-Saint-Georges. The hand-harvested fruit from “Les Poulettes,” from vines planted in 1957, was completely de-stemmed and fermented on ambient yeasts in stainless steel. It underwent a relatively long élévage (aging) of 18 months in 25% new French oak barrels, and is showing the kind of impeccable balance that made 2014 such a favorite for me. In the glass, it’s a deep garnet-red with a tiny hint of brick along the rim, with aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, orange peel, leather, rose petals, licorice, and underbrush. It is medium-plus in body and will blossom nicely after about 60 minutes in a decanter, but do try to save a bottle or two for revisiting about 5-7 years down the line. Magic is in the cards. My recent tasting of the wine had me dreaming of fresh-foraged mushrooms and wild game, but since the former are much more readily available to me, let’s go that route. When all is said and done, this is one of my favorite red Burgundies of 2020. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceNuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Poulettes
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
French Barrels, 25% New
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2027
Decanting
60 Minutes
Pairing
Polenta w/ Roasted Mushroom & Thyme

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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