2016 Mongeard-Mugneret Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots

TERROIR FOCUS: LA TACHE & MALCONSORTS' SOUTHERN PREMIER CRU NEIGHBOR
This week, we would like to shine a light on one of Burgundy's most overshadowed terroirs, a piece of vineyard that could easily go for multiples of its current value were it a stone's throw further North. There has long been a rule of thumb for Nuits-St-Georges vineyards that those south of the village towards Premeaux-Prissey were more "Nuits" in style, red-fruited, gamey, and edged with age-worthy tannins. The vineyards to the North of the village proper were dubbed the "Vosne side", and collectors and sommeliers imbue in them the properties of a classic Vosne wine, with riper purple fruits, violets and incense spices.  “Aux Boudots” is the quintessential "Vosne side" premier cru, a special parcel that sits on the boundary of northern Nuits-Saint-Georges, along the southern Vosne-Romanée border. It touches the famed premier cru of Aux Malconsorts and is a mere stone’s throw from Romanée-Conti’s grand cru of La Tâche. Boudots makes striking full-bodied and sensual wines that vibrate with energy. Allen Meadows describes Les Boudots as “the most gifted Premier Cru in Nuits.”  In warmer vintages, the vineyard delivers the classic violet-tinged and dark-fruited profile of Vosne-Romanée, while cooler vintages lean Nuits-St-Georges in style. It's a steep slope for Burgundy with 18 percent incline and a stony surface that delivers the precise minerality the vineyard is known for. In fact, Etienne Grivot has considered dynamite for the strong rocky band along the mid-slope after it broke his horse-drawn plough twice in a single season. One look at the lineup of landholders and producers will give you a who's who of the cognoscenti vignerons of Burgundy, with Leroy, Charles Lachaux, Georges Noellat, and Meo-Camuzet among the leading producers. See below for a listing of our current availability from this esteemed vineyard. - BK