2015 Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Aux Murgers

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2015 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru les Murgers has a relatively candied bouquet compared to winemaker Charles van Canneyt's other crus, hints of baking powder and thyme infusing the perfumed red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, well-judged acidity, quite "solid" in the mouth with a dense, generous finish. Not quite the length of the Vougeot here, but it is still very delicious. My visit to Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noellat with hirsute winemaker Charles Van Cannyt was one of the most amusing during my never-ending forays in and out of domaines. Hot topics of discussion included whether his recent nuptials into the Gagey family of Louis Jadot precludes either husband or wife criticizing each other's wines across the dinner table, whether opera is rubbish (or not), in addition to one very funny anecdote that's probably best I do not share. In between our jabbering, I tasted through a terrific set of 2015s that serve notice that this domaine is really ratcheting up the quality. From the entry-level Bourgogne Rouge onward, these barrel samples reaffirmed my estimation of Hudelot-Noëllat rapidly ascending to one of Vosne-Romanée's top growers by dint of the location of their vines, rather than the location of the winery that almost seems misplaced in Vougeot. (90-92)