Domaine Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vieilles Vignes 2022 - 75cl
Robert Chevillon is Nuits-Saint-Georges made flesh - the domaine that, more than any other, defines what this village tastes like. Where Chambolle is lace, Nuits is broad-shouldered and earthy, and Chevillon leans into that. The Vieilles Vignes bottling gathers fruit from the domaine's oldest parcels, vines with decades in the ground that give depth a younger plot simply cannot.
The winemaking is deliberate and old-school: low yields, whole clusters destemmed, long macerations run comparatively warm to draw out colour and structure, then eighteen months in barrel with a modest slice of new oak - around a third at most. Nothing flashy, everything in service of the site.
The 2022 leads with dark berries, plum and a twist of orange peel over sweet spice. The palate is medium to full, supple and perfumed, saturated with black cherry and blackberry, a savoury seam of tar and stone running underneath. Dusty, fine-grained tannins coat the gums and tighten the close, but the fruit surges back at the end and a saline note keeps it fresh. There's real verve and definition here. Drinkable now with a good decant, though this is built for the long haul - it will hit its stride from 2027 and hold well beyond.
How to Serve
Serve at 16-17°C in a large Burgundy glass. Decant a young vintage a good hour ahead to coax the tannins into line.
Where to Drink It
Wiltons, Jermyn Street - classic game cooking that meets Nuits's earthy backbone.
Noble Rot, Bloomsbury - a list that takes serious Burgundy as seriously as it deserves.
Scott's, Mayfair - the setting for a bottle you want to give a decade before you open the next.
Food Pairings
Roast venison with a touch of juniper is the move - the wine's tar-and-stone savour and firm tannins were built for dark, gamey meat.
