Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Les Damodes” Reviews

Damodes is at the top of the hill on the border with Vosne-Romanee, where the Boisset family owns 2.27 acres of vines planted in the mid 1980's. They present it with the extravagant oak scent of a grand cru, and the wine has the red fruit intensity to sustain its vinous tension and generous complexity long after the toast and smoke is gone. The finish lasts for minutes, the wine needing five years or more to show its best.
 

Features beautiful cherry, raspberry and floral aromas and flavors matched to a silky texture. Harmonious and vibrant, with a long, juicy finish. Best from 2016 through 2032. 70 cases imported. –BS

Good bright red. Musky redcurrant, black cherry, violet, rose petal and sandalwood on the perfumed, elegant nose. Juicy, spicy and intense, with lovely clarity and sappiness to the red berry, cherry and smoky mineral flavors. Very silky Damodes with a long, ripely tannic finish.

The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Les Damodes has everything the Corvees Paget doesn’t. Sensual layers of fruit caress the palate in this super-refined Nuits. Gentle floral and spice notes develop in the glass, adding depth and volume. Clean veins of underlying minerality frame the exceptional finish. This is a standout. Pierre Vincent used 50% whole clusters here. This parcel was planted 40 years ago with a selection of pinot fin. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. This is stunning set of wines from Pierre Vincent and Domaine de la Vougeraie. It is impossible to miss the attention to detail at this impeccably run domaine. No expense is spared. It takes 80 people to work the vineyards during harvest and another 20 in the cellar to take it from there. Production in 2010 was of course down significantly as it was everywhere else. Yields came in at 24 hectoliters per hectare for the Pinot and 29 for the Chardonnay. Vincent used between 30-80% whole bunches, depending on the wine. Readers who want to learn more might want to check out my video interview with Pierre Vincent on www.erobertparker.com. I will report on the domaine’s 2009s in the April issue.

Discreet wood highlights very ripe and impressively dense aromas of red berry liqueur, plum, violet and pungent warm earth. The density of the nose telegraphs the excellent concentration to be found on the very rich, powerful and serious medium-bodied flavors that possess very fine depth on the robust, energetic and moderately rustic finish. This is a classic Nuits that should age effortlessly.