Nuits St Georges Cras 1er Cru 2016

(almost finished with its malolactic fermentation; these 80-year-old vines dodged the frost in 2016, producing 38 hectoliters per hectare): Full bright ruby. Blackberry and licorice pastille dominate the nose. Densely packed and energetic, showing serious chalky lift to the flavors of dark berries, spices and licorice. Offers a lovely balance of sweet and salty elements and really piques the salivary glands on the long finish. Here's an example of a cuvée that Cheurlin prefers to its 2015 sibling for its energy and Pinot typicity. (I also tried a couple additional premier crus that were in the middle of their malos and impossible to assess with confidence, although obviously very promising. Cheurlin's first vintage of Gevrey-Chambertin Fontenys, made from old millerandé vines he gets through a métayage arrangement, was dense and salty, with lovely precision and energy. His Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Boudots, from vines averaging at least 90 years of age, was distinctly dark, floral and concentrated, conveying a powerful impression and strong minerality. It should be in the same quality league as the Cras.)

Score: 91 - 93

Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com 01 January 2018