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

The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er Cru has a dark and broody nose, briary and rooibos, quite floral, opening up with aeration. The palate is well balanced with ample freshness on the entry. Plenty of dark fruit, nicely structured, a touch of spice towards the finish though it does lack Pinoté. Overall, this is somehow a "heartwarming" Nuits Saint-Georges. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.

Gregory and Antoine Gouges are now running this historic estate and seem to have effected quite a transformation in wine style, making much more accessible wines than the old, super-tannic ones. This climat is just above Les St-Georges and is steeper, tending to produce more forward wines. The vines are partly 'very old' and partly a mere 40 years old. 3,650 bottles produced. Transparent garnet. Mellow, lightweight nose. Such a contrast to the Gouges wines of old! Sweet and with the fruit dominating the ripe tannins. Round and bright-fruited. Candied flower notes. Tannins just perceptible but completely dominated by the exuberant fruit. There's something like a sweet digestive biscuit about this wine. Long. Very Nuits. Still solid and fairy youthful though! (JR)