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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

2003 Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers


I received a gift certificate for Christmas for our local wine shop. There’s always an internal debate I have with gift certificates—do I spend it on several bottles of wine in our typical price range (under $20) or do I splurge and go for something I’d never buy for myself? Since the ol’ rack is pretty much full I opted to splurge on a $65 bottle with the request from the shop owner that I get a bottle that is a decent representation of good quality Burgundy.

We enjoy Pinot Noir from the New World but really haven’t enjoyed much from Burgundy, especially towards the higher end (I am well aware this is not a “top” Burgundy). Most good Burgundy need a bit more time in the bottle but I was told this one would be a good representation even if opened right away.

Funk on the nose--earth, barnyard, and a bit of alcohol.

The palate has some strawberry, raspberry, and cherry with lots of earth and a bit of wood. I get some chocolate and coffee (which I suppose means mocha) in the background as well.

Smooth tannins on the finish, lingering mocha, and very late in the finish I get an odd bit of hazelnut and maybe just a touch of pine.

I hope that at some point in my life I’ll be able to buy a case of this sort of wine and drink it over a decade. For now, this one special bottle will have to do. I’ve been a bit afraid of French wine in general, but I think there will probably be some more Burgundy on here in the upcoming months.

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