2011 Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Les Pruliers

For reports and full tasting notes, go toTim Atkin MW's website.

The 2011 Nuits St. Georges Les Pruliers is unusually refined and polished for a young Pruliers. Sweet dark cherries, exotic spices, licorice and mint are all layered together beautifully in this silky, polished Burgundy. Medium in body, the Pruliers achieves a rare balance of fruit, acidity and tannin that is remarkable. I imagine the 2011 will drink well relatively early as it is so harmonious, but there is also clearly potential for aging.

There is lovely complexity to the subtly spiced and distinctly earthy red currant and plum suffused nose. There is plenty of verve and mid-palate concentration to the intense and seductively textured flavors that offer both good size and weight, all wrapped in a firm, balanced and persistent finish. This displays enough Nuits character to remain true to the terroir yet there is virtually no rusticity. Drink: 2019+
-Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, Issue 49. Tasted: Jan 14, 2013

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers from Etienne Grivot is very generous on the nose with billowing redcurrant and strawberry aromas, but it lacks the breeding and sophistication one would expect and the oak is too prominent, plus there is some herbaceous notes that develop with time. The palate is medium-bodied with slick red cherry and raspberry preserve notes, but the oak is (predictably) too conspicuous on the finish and speaks over the fruit / terroir. The 2012 is much better.

Slowly emerged from the glass to present a most appealing combination of fruit, energy and transparency. Really dances along. Just starting to unfurl. (JR)