Henri Gouges - Nuits Saint Georges La Perriere Blanc 2018

Nuits-Saint-Georges wine is produced in the communes of Nuits-Saint-Georges and Premeaux-Prissey in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Nuits-Saint-Georges may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The name of the appellation is sometimes written simply as Nuits, without the Saint-Georges part. The word "Nuits" has nothing to do with "nighttime" but comes from the Latin for walnuts, Nutium. The production of red wine dominates greatly, with around 97 per cent, and only around three per cent white wine. There are no Grand Cru vineyards within Nuits-Saint-Georges.

In 2008 there were 306.33 hectares (757.0 acres) of vineyard surface in production for Nuits-Saint-Georges wine at village and Premier Cru level, and 12,031 hectoliter of wine was produced, of which 11,703 hectoliter red wine and 328 hectoliter white wine. Some 7.03 hectares (17.4 acres) of this area was used for the white wines in 2007. The total amount produced corresponds to just over 1.6 million bottles, of which just over 1.55 million bottles of red wine and a little over 40,000 bottles of white wine.

The AOC regulations allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this not very often practiced. For white wines, both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc are allowed, but most wines are likely to be 100% Chardonnay. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliter per hectare of red wine and 45 for white wine. The grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10.5 per cent potential alcohol for village-level red wine, 11.0 per cent for village-level white wine and Premier Cru red wine, and 11.5 per cent for Premier Cru white wine.

The Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy has been named after Nuits-Saint-Georges, which is the subregion's largest town, and which used to play an important role in the trading of these wines.

Les Perrières – or sometimes La Perrière – is a prestigious premier cru site of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation, producing both red and white wines. This particular release is from Domaine Henri Gouges, a family-owned estate now run by Grégory Gouges and his cousin Antoine. Just like their Bourgogne Blanc, this white wine is made from the Pinot Blanc variety called ‘Pinot Gouges’, discovered by Henri Gouges, founder of the estate. Expect a creamy expression, with plenty of citrus fruit from the start, a sprinkle of white pepper and a refreshing, mineral finish.

The 2018 Nuits St. Georges “Perrières” Blanc from the Gouges family is also lovely in this vintage. The wine is a bit more reserved in personality than the already delicious Bourgogne, offering up a complex and very pure blend of white peach, fresh almond, salty soil tones, spring flowers and just a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and complex, with a good core of fruit, fine focus and grip, sound framing acids and good backend mineral drive on the long finish. This will want a couple of years in the cellar to allow its secondary layers to emerge, but it will not need too long before it really starts to drink beautifully.