2018 Joseph Drouhin, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Les Proces

Mingling aromas of blackberries and cherries with notions of burning embers and rich soil tones, Drouhin's 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Procès is medium to full-bodied, rich and muscular, with an ample core of succulent fruit underpinned by powdery tannins.

The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Procès 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of brambly red berry fruit, woodland scents and light pastille aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins and fine acidity. A little rough around the edges at the moment, but there is fine backbone and a lovely seam of salinity toward the long and increasingly spicy finish. Very fine.

Cask sample. Mid crimson. A darker fruit profile than on the Beaune Grèves. More peppery, and smells darker and fresher and a little more stony. Bright and tight and juicy freshness on the palate, open and gentle but persistent. Finest of tannins. Very Nuits on the long, refined, dark finish. (JH)