2014 Thibault Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Les Saint-Georges

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

The 2014 Nuits St Georges Les St Georges 1Er Cru was fermented with 40% whole clusters and brought up in older oak. With notes of ripe black raspberries, spice, forest floor, and black cherries, it offers medium-bodied richness, a fresh, pure, elegant style, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It’s youthful, energetic and a touch backward, but has terrific purity as well as potential. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following decade.

(30% vendange entier ; one vat went into 50% new oak, the other 20%): Healthy dark red. Deep, reduced aromas of redcurrant, iron, smoke and mint; this needs oxygen! Very dry and broad on the palate, offering superb mouth coverage and volume but an almost weightless impression. Best today on the lively, tactile, firmly tannic finish, which perfumes the mouth with ethereal spices and flowers. Liger-Belair, who has been leading the effort to have Les Saint-Georges elevated to grand cru status, believes he's now getting more elegance, "more verticality," to go with the power of this cru.

Some strange mossiness on the nose. Tough and pretty astringent on the palate. Dry finish. Not much fun at the moment with a strange spicy undertow. (JR)