Domaine Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges 2005

Taking its name from the town at its heart, Nuits-St-Georges, the Côte de Nuits is the northern half of the Côte d’Or, the escarpment upon which lie the greatest of Burgundy’s vineyards. Though there are a number of very fine white wines made it is the reds for which the Côte de Nuits is truly famous. Compared with the red wines of the Côte de Beaune the reds from Nuits have more sophisticated tannins, extra body and a more sumptuous texture than their southern counterparts.

The soils of the area are predominantly limestone of various types, which is excellent for drainage but also retention of water. The finest have a happy conjunction of silt and scree over marl with protected and sunny aspects in some of the side-valleys that cut into the escarpment from west to east. These cuts provide a number of meso- and microclimates as well as the various aspects. The best sites are neither at the top or the bottom of these slopes where the soils are too impoverished or too fertile respectively. More generic wines are produced at the top and bottom of these slopes, with the Premiers Crus and Grand Crus in a band running along the upper middle.

The climate here is semi-continental, though northerly winds can temper a hot summer while warmer winds from the south can bring warmth. Westerly winds that ultimately originate in the Atlantic can bring rain but at its worst may deliver devastating hail in incredibly localised storms. There is a degree of unpredictability about vintages in Burgundy that mean more variation than in any other fine wine region.

The appellations that sit above the generic regional ACs in the hierarchy are Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Echézaux and Nuits-St-George. Côte de Nuits –Villages is made from grapes grown at either end of the Côte, where the soils and sites are less impressive. Gevrey-Chambertin is a complete and balanced wine, full and harmonious. Wines from Nuits-St-Georges are the most tannic and, like Pommards, need long maturation. For many Vosne-Romanée is the summit. Its wines have beautiful velvety palates: dense and soft, sensuous and tactile. Chambolle-Musigny is the lightest yet one of the most fragrant wines of the Côte de Nuits. It is perhaps Nuits's equivalent of Volnay; a pretty, fine boned wine with exquisite perfume and a silky palate.

Without doubt the 2005 vintage was one of the best of the last 50 years, with some observers rating it alongside the legendary 1959. In a spring and summer, throughout which the weather was just about ideal, the grapes achieved perfect phenolic maturity of skins, pips and stems which made for sweet, round tannins. Even in villages where tannins can sometimes be a little firm, such as Pernand, Aloxe and Pommard, sweetness and succulence were to the fore. A little water stress kept the vines on their toes and the perfection of the climatic conditions meant that there was little fungal disease to worry about. What little rain there was proved just enough, and at the right time, to refresh the grapes. The harvest of healthy grapes was relatively easy and sorting tables at the cellars were rendered largely redundant.

Whites were excellent to superb, based on low yields, though one or two overripe examples mean that this might not be a truly great year for whites. However, the best are wonderful and will repay cellaring. Reds were consistently superb from the generic to the grand cru. Yields were about average but small berries with thick skins and the phenolic maturity mentioned above meant wines of concentration without heaviness, and ripeness with real vibrancy and purity. Most will reward patience, even village wines, and the top crus will age beautifully for years to come.