Good deep, bright red. Dark berries, licorice and mint on the nose, plus a strong element of rocky minerality. At once dense, fine-grained and energetic; a step up in intensity from the Boudots owing to its crushed-stone minerality. Boasts a strong spine of acids and tannins and delivers lovely finesse of texture. The wine's intense berry flavors show compelling peppery lift and perfume on the finish. Very classy juice.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Nuits Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras has a slightly reduced bouquet with sultry red fruit, touches of strawberry pastille developing with aeration but not quite taking off. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, well integrated oak and an attractive grainy texture. There is impressive presence here, rather than weight, a touch of spiciness towards the sappy finish completing a very fine Nuits Saint Georges, albeit one that needs 4-5 years in the cellar. Tasted September 2016

The 2013 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras is the debut release from Maxime (from an intra-familial exchange of plots.) The nose is quite intense and here I feel it handles the new oak well: raspberry coulis, wild strawberry and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, well-judged acidity and a vivacious white pepper-tinged finish that linger in the mouth. This would be my pick from Maxime’s Nuits Saint Georges ‘13s.