I’m not the biggest fan of whites from the Côte de Nuits – which I’m sure you already know – except from a very small number of locations; Vougeot and Morey St.Denis in the main. I have indeed found enjoyment from wines from Nuits, but to-date, really only from chardonnay-based wines and with some age too – l’Arlot for-instance tastes great after 10 years (super-mineral) yet isn’t very exciting to me when young.

I guess it doesn’t really help Nuits Blanc that you really have no idea what grape or combination of grapes are in your glass, without the winemaker on hand to explain – even when winemakers have the same vineyard, often the grapes in the glass are different!

The wine…

Here’s a small selection of wines I managed to taste last month – only one really turning my head…

2012 Gavignet-Bethune Nuits St.Georges Les Athées
Villages wine made 100% with chardonnay.
Pretty, quite ripe fruit but with brightness and energy. The flavour has a little sherbet, some richness and plenty if weight. Intense in the mid-palate, with quite a long line of quite tasty, floral finishing flavour. Pretty good stuff despite modest acidity.

2009 Daniel Rion Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Terres Blanches
Made with 100% pinot blanc.
A weighty nose hinting at cheese. Actually very nice in the mouth after the nose, lithe, a little mineral, and with quite an attractive flavour. Still, a bit too much cheese for me today.

2011 Des Perdrix, Nuits St.Georges 1er Terres Rouges
All chardonnay, hand harvested with 15 months elevage and 50% new oak – from 0.23 ha
A tighter nose but surprisingly (perhaps) it reminds of the last wine. Narrower, more direct, nicely mineral almost a little fumé in the mid-palate flavour and finish. Long-lasting flavour. Very interesting and also very mineral and drinkable!

2013 Alain Michelot, Nuits St.Georges 1er les Perrière
Made from chardonnay.
A modest, but pretty and fruit-led, fresh aromatic. Mineral and floral in the mouth – both quite pronounced. Long-lasting flavour yet the overall impression is a little austere.

2011 Jean-Charles Rion Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Terres Blanches
80% pinot blanc, 20% chardonnay.
A little inviting sweetness but largely a tight nose. Nicely mouth-watering, just a hint mineral with rather pretty flavours. I’m liking this, I’m just not sure if I’m liking it for €30 worth…

2013 Philippe Gavignet, Nuits St.Georges Les Argillats
A 1:1 blend of pinot blanc and chardonnay.
Another very discreet nose – it seems pretty enough below. Quite mouth-filling but with some acid intensity too. The mineral mid-palate is faintly austere but there’s plenty of flavour here. Quite good!