The 2012 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots comes from the northern flank of the vineyard It is endowed with a voluminous and positively generous bouquet packed to the rafters with dark berries and autumn forest aromas the proliferate in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins that lend it a foursquare nature. Like many of Chevillon’s 2012s, this is “neat” and focused with a structured harmonious finish that is well-behaved. It will provide fine early drinking pleasure and shows great class. “You were supposed to be here at two o’clock,” admonished Bertrand Chevillon upon my entering his courtyard at 2.20pm. I resorted to the wine critic’s equivalent of the schoolboy’s default excuse” “The dog ate my homework”; replying that “The Satnav had sent me in the wrong direction”. Which is true incidentally. For despite tasting, writing about and admiring this domaine’s wines since the late 1990s, this was the first time that I have visited. Chevillon might well be the appellation’s benchmark producer, especially since the ‘lesser-spotted’ Denis and Bertrand Chevillon took over the entire running of the estate from their father in 2000. They tap into the essence of their enviable holdings year on year, wines not just driven by power or complexity, but by their sheer force of personality. As Bertrand’s large frame flitted around the barrel cellar, gathering momentum as we scaled the heights of his premier crus, he enthused about the vintage’s innate ability to express the uniqueness of their terroir. If you require evidence that Nuits-Saint-Georges is long overdue its own grand cru (“Les Saint Georges” the shoo-in when I enquired) then take a look at these splendid 2012s that are destined to give so much joy over the next two decades. As usual, bunches were de-stemmed, underwent a pre-ferment maceration and matured with a prudent use of new oak, around 25-30%. Importer: Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524