Nuits-Saint-Georges sits at the southern end of the Côte de Nuits, just below Vosne-Romanée, and it is the town that gave the whole Côte de Nuits its name. Here you will find its wines at village and premier cru level.
Nuits-Saint-Georges wine: the southern anchor of the Côte de Nuits
The appellation covers a little over 300 hectares in two communes: Nuits-Saint-Georges itself and Premeaux-Prissey to the south. The small Meuzin stream runs through the town and splits the vineyards into a northern and a southern half. Almost everything made here is red, from Pinot Noir, and only a sliver is white.
Nuits-Saint-Georges premier cru vineyards, and why there is no grand cru
There are 41 premiers crus and no grand cru. North of the Meuzin, towards the border with Vosne, lie Aux Boudots, Aux Cras, Aux Murgers, Les Damodes and Aux Chaignots, with more perfumed, finely built wines. South of the stream are the more powerful sites: Les Saint-Georges, Les Vaucrains, Les Cailles, Les Pruliers and Les Porrets. Further south, in Premeaux, a string of walled clos includes Clos de la Maréchale, Clos des Corvées and Clos des Forêts Saint-Georges.
Les Saint-Georges is widely seen as the finest vineyard in the commune, and the town added its name in 1892. The growers have asked the INAO to promote it to grand cru, but no decision has been made yet.
How red Nuits-Saint-Georges tastes and ages
Where Chambolle-Musigny is all silk and flowers and Vosne-Romanée is spice and velvet, Nuits-Saint-Georges is the most earthy of the great villages. Think dark cherry, blackcurrant, liquorice, forest floor and sometimes a hint of game, carried by firm tannins. A young premier cru can feel tight, but with eight to fifteen years in the cellar it settles and shows the depth the village is known for.
White Nuits-Saint-Georges is a rarity. The best known is Henri Gouges' La Perrière, made from Pinot Gouges, a white mutation of Pinot Noir that Henri Gouges found among his vines in the 1930s.
Producers who show Nuits-Saint-Georges at its best
Domaine Robert Chevillon is the place to start if you want to taste the differences between vineyards: Les Saint-Georges, Les Vaucrains, Les Pruliers, Les Chaignots and a Vieilles Vignes from old vines. Domaine Henri Gouges, founded in 1920, makes classic, long-lived Les Saint-Georges, and Domaine A.F. Gros bottles the same vineyard too. From the northern end come Méo-Camuzet and Jean Grivot with Aux Boudots and Aux Murgers, and Domaine des Lambrays' La Richemone.
In Premeaux, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier makes Clos de la Maréchale, which the family took back in 2004 after decades of it being farmed by Faiveley, and Prieuré Roch makes an elegant Clos des Corvées. Look out too for Domaine de la Vougeraie's Clos de Thorey and Philippe et Vincent Lecheneaut.
Food to serve with Nuits-Saint-Georges
The structure makes these wines natural partners for hearty food: beef bourguignon, duck, venison, lamb with rosemary or a mushroom risotto. To compare with the neighbours further north, look at Gevrey-Chambertin or our full range of Burgundy wine.
Frequently asked questions about Nuits-Saint-Georges
Is Nuits St Georges the same as Nuits-Saint-Georges?
Yes. Nuits St Georges, Nuits-St-Georges and Nuits-Saint-Georges are all the same appellation, just spelled differently on the label.
What is the difference between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Côte de Nuits-Villages?
Nuits-Saint-Georges is a village appellation with its own premiers crus. Côte de Nuits-Villages is a separate appellation for smaller communes at the northern and southern edges of the Côte de Nuits, and Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits comes from the hills behind the slope.
What grape is used in red Nuits-Saint-Georges?
Only Pinot Noir. The white is mostly Chardonnay, with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gouges at a few estates.
How long can a Nuits-Saint-Georges premier cru be kept?
A good premier cru from a strong vintage can develop for fifteen to twenty years. Village wines are usually at their best from three to ten years.
What decides the price of a Nuits-Saint-Georges?
Mainly the level (village or premier cru), the vineyard, the producer and the vintage. Mature bottles and magnums are also scarcer.