Laurent jokingly refers to his out-of-this world Nuits-St.-Georges Les St. Georges as his "Michel Bettane cuvee" because it possesses all the components he believes Bettane wants to see in a wine. Medium-to-dark ruby-colored, it reveals raspberries and bing cherries in its lively, perfumed nose and a sublime, medium-to-full-bodied flavor profile composed of super-ripe, chewy red fruits, violets and Asian spices. With an admirable finish as well as exceptional length and focus, it will be at its best between 2002-2012. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.
A Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42-84-38-22), various American importers.