An exceptional wine, one that transcends its vintage, the medium to dark ruby-colored 2000 Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Boudots stands with the finest Boudots this famed estate has produced. Its deep, plummy, black fruit-filled aromatics lead to a concentrated, medium to full-bodied personality. Wonderfully supple, it penetrates the palate, unleashing harmonious waves of sweet blueberries, dark cherries, and black raspberries. This elegant, seamless, feminine wine possesses an exceptionally long, silky finish. Drink it over the next 9 years. Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy liked both the 2000 and 2001 vintages, stating that she was “rather pleased with the 2001s as they will bring lots of joy to those who drink them young” and that the 2000s “are candied fruit, reduction of fruit, the essence of fruit.” Many Burgundians chose to bottle their 2001 early in order to “trap” the fruit in the bottle, but Bize-Leroy beat them all to the punch, having completed the bottling process by early September, 2002. Typically an early bottler, Mme. Bize-Leroy felt that the 2001s would lose their fruit to either oxidation or the required sulfuring if left in the barrel for a longer elevage. Overall, Domaine Leroy’s 2001s are a success, though many were found to reveal stemmy, woody tannin in their finishes. If this characteristic melts away quickly, my scores on those wines will appear overly conservative. Importer: Martine’s Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

As is usually the case, the Boudots is much bigger, richer and more powerful if not as well defined and without the same sense of intense minerality as the Vignerondes. Curiously, despite its greater size and weight, it delivers even more elegance with mouth coating richness and better underlying structure. Quite spicy and this too delivers grand cru length.

This is a little stalky on the nose, lacking a little definition compared to the previous two wines. Cherry mixed with a little damp soil. The palate is well-defined, crisp, improves in the glass with its vibrant strawberry and cherry notes. Has the mouthfeel of a Vosne-Romanee - so silky and pure, yet the finish is a little linear. Still, a very fine wine. 3,894 bottles produced. Tasted June 2004.