2020 Domaine R. Dubois & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Nuits Saint-Georges almost always has an intense and dark color. The aromas are powerful and complex: they mix cherry, blackcurrant, fir, truffle, and often spices and especially pepper. Among the most tannic wines of Burgundy, the tannin–roundness harmony makes them full–bodied and solid wines. The harvest of the grapes is mainly manual. After reception at the winery and de-stemming, the grapes are placed in vats for a fortnight. For the first three days, the vat is kept at a temperature of 12 to 15 C for cold maceration. After 15 days in the vats, the wines will stay 15 to 18 months in the cellar, with a passage of 9 to 13 months in barrels less than 5 years old. After vinification, the young wines are placed in barrels for a period of 9 to 15 months (1/3 new barrels and 2/3 barrels less than 5 years old). During this period, we monitor the aging by taking samples and tastings, and we carry out a weekly topping up of the barrels. Before bottling, we rack the wines to separate the deposits. After tasting, they are assembled. To preserve maximum complexity in the wine, we are very attentive to the position of the moon in the choice of the date of bottling.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Located in Premeaux-Prissey, near Nuits-Saint-Georges, the Dubois estate operates a range of 21 appellations on 21 hectares of vines: white and red Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes Ctes de Nuits, Nuits Saint-Georges 1er cru, Savigny- les-Beaune 1er cru, Clos de Vougeot, for a production of around 100,000 bottles per year.

The history of Dubois winegrowers begins around 1600 with the birth of Emiland Dubois, the first ancestor and winegrower to be found in official records. More recently, Louis Dubois (1874 1947) took over his first plot of vines in 1898, then developed the estate with 5 acres of vines in the village of Premeaux-Prissey and Nuits-Saint-Georges. His son, Robert (1910 2004), devoted his life to the estates vines, and further increased its size by acquiring his first Nuits Premier Cru plot in 1961. Rgis Dubois (born 1939), took up the reins with his wife Christiane, and extended the vineyard from 10 to 25 acres, and then to 50 acres. To increase the value of the wine, he began to bottle the production from 1969 onwards. Presently, Rgis manages the technical matters of the domaine.

The fourth generation begins in 1969 with the birth of Raphal. Since 2006, the vineyard has been managed by Raphal and his sister, Batrice Dubois. Raphal oversees the marketing of the wines and public relations. Batrice is an oenologist who is truly passionate about wine. She divides her time between producing, analyzing and monitoring the estates wines, and customer tastings all over the world, which have now replaced her vinification work in the southern hemisphere.