Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/06/2010 Strikingly high-toned aromas of kirsch, maraschino, almond extract, and smoky black tea in the nose of Rouget’s 2008 Nuits-St.-Georges follow on the palate, accompanied by almost confectionary sucrosity yet also satisfying brightness of cherry, with a mouth-watering undertone of smoked meat broth. There is an almost grappa-like aura to the combination of spirituous fruit manifestations and notes from (30%) new wood, but that impression also helps restrain the sense of sweetness. This finishes convincingly, and conveys levity and refreshment while preserving a sense of textural richness, not to mention ripeness. Further integration of its sweet, bright, spirituous, and oaky elements may come with a bit of bottle age, and I am sure this will hold well for at least 6-8 years. I did not taste the 2008 Vosne-Romanee, which was in the process of being assembled. I tasted Emmanuel Rouget’s 2008s from barrel in April and he was planning to bottle them within a month. According to one of Rouget’s favorite descriptors, the vintage was “tres particulaire,” not to mention challenging. “I harvested at an average of 12%” potential alcohol, he reports, “and chaptalized less than a degree. That sufficed. It was more important to harvest while there was still good weather and besides, it was already cold. There was a lot of acidity, but that conveys a superb equilibrium and level of freshness. The wines really exhibit the plenitude of Pinot.” Rouget rejects what he acknowledges is a widespread comparison of 2008 with 1996, suggesting that the latter “was more marked by sunshine, and resulted in less-noticeable acidity.” (As noted in the introduction to this report, he compares 2008 with 1986.)

A very fresh and bright nose speaks of slightly herbal red berry fruit and warm earth notes that transfer over to the delicious middle weight flavors that are supported by relatively delicate tannins though the gassy finish cuts it short. Should be good but this is very primary.