The 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de Thorey is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of cherries, wild berries and cassis, mingled with notes of raw cocoa, cinnamon and sweet forest floor. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, with a sappy core of nicely concentrated fruit, melting tannins and lively acids. Exemplifying the elegant style of contemporary Domaine de la Vougeraie, this has turned out very well.

The 2017 Nuits Saints-Georges Clos des Thorey 1er Cru comes from the older vines, around 70 years of age, on Cordon Royat, some of which were uprooted in recent years to balance the yield. It contains 50% new oak. The bouquet is quite introverted at the moment and the stem addition a little more tangible here compared to other cuvées; hints of pressed iris petals develop with aeration. The floral palate is well balanced with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and quite a dense finish that just needs a little more clarity. Not bad, and I’m intrigued to see how this will develop in bottle.