Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes 2023

89-91 BH

89-92 JM

Notes:

An ultra-fresh nose speaks of ripe red and dark berries plus an abundance of earth character. There is better volume and density to the energetic medium weight flavors where the supporting tannins are unusually fine in the context of what is typical for a Nuits villages. Excellent and worth your interest. Burghound 89-91 Outstanding Top Value!

A fine even purple, with immediate fresh raspberry fruit, crunchy but still really structured, much darker fruit behind. Rugged not rustic, with decent length. A solid, concentrated, Nuits-St-Georges. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Nov 2024. Jasper Morris 89-92

Producer: Domaine Robert Chevillon is one of the benchmark estates of Nuits-Saint-Georges, with the family’s history in the village extending back to the early 20th century. The domaine is now run by brothers Denis and Bertrand Chevillon, the fifth generation, with their father Robert remaining involved. The family’s holdings are concentrated in Nuits-Saint-Georges and include an exceptional collection of Premier Crus such as Les Cailles, Les Vaucrains, Les Saint-Georges, Les Pruliers, Les Perrières, Les Roncières, Les Chaignots, and Les Bousselots. Old vines are an important part of the estate, naturally moderating yields and contributing concentration throughout the range. The Chevillons cultivate their soils, harvest by hand, sort carefully, and use traditional vinification centered on complete destemming, indigenous yeasts, long macerations, and extended barrel élevage. The domaine is particularly valued for producing structured, site-specific Nuits-Saint-Georges with the fruit and balance necessary for long bottle aging. In 2023, Bertrand Chevillon reported natural alcohol levels around 13%, with harvesting taking place from September 11–18 after careful sorting.
Vineyard: Vieilles Vignes is far more than a generic village blend. The cuvée draws primarily from the lieux-dits La Charmotte and Au Chouillet, supplemented by smaller holdings in Aux Saints Jacques, Les Charmois, Les Maladières, Les Chaliots, and Les Brûlées, along with several tiny parcels. The domaine works approximately 3.3 hectares for the bottling, with well-drained, limestone-based hillside vineyards and vines averaging roughly 50–60 years old according to importer and merchant sources. This collection of old parcels gives the wine a broad representation of village-level Nuits-Saint-Georges terroir while naturally low-yielding mature vines provide additional concentration. 2023 was generous in Burgundy, but Chevillon’s old vines, rigorous debudding, sorting, and yields of roughly 40 hl/ha helped maintain concentration. The resulting wines combine ripe fruit with freshness and a notably supple tannic structure. For the Vieilles Vignes specifically, critics consistently found both red and darker fruit, pronounced mineral and earthy character, and unusually fine tannins for village Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Winemaking: The 2023 is 100% Pinot Noir, harvested by hand and completely destemmed before fermentation. The fruit undergoes a gentle cool pre-fermentation maceration, followed by fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Chevillon favors comparatively long vatting periods; published technical information gives approximately three to five weeks in vat, allowing the domaine to build the structure characteristic of Nuits-Saint-Georges while maintaining careful control over extraction. The wine subsequently spends approximately 16–18 months in barrel, with only around 15–20% new French oak reported for the Vieilles Vignes. William Kelley notes that local Tonnellerie Sirugue of Nuits-Saint-Georges is the domaine’s principal barrel supplier. Malolactic fermentation for the 2023s was completed during spring 2024. The relatively modest proportion of new oak allows barrel maturation to contribute texture and gradual oxygen exchange without obscuring the fruit, earth, and mineral character supplied by the old-vine parcels.
Technical Details: Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC; Vieilles Vignes; 2023 vintage; 100% Pinot Noir; approximately 3.3 hectares of village vineyards; primarily La Charmotte and Au Chouillet, with smaller portions from Aux Saints Jacques, Les Charmois, Les Maladières, Les Chaliots and Les Brûlées; vines approximately 50–60 years old on average; limestone-based hillside terroir; hand harvested; fully destemmed; cool pre-fermentation maceration; indigenous yeast fermentation; approximately 3–5 weeks in vat; approximately 16–18 months in French oak; roughly 15–20% new oak; 13% ABV on the Vins Rare listing.
Food Pairing: Beef bourguignon, braised short ribs, roast duck, duck breast, coq au vin, veal chops, pork tenderloin, rack of lamb, grilled lamb chops, beef stew, roast guinea hen, mushroom risotto, porcini mushrooms, Époisses, and aged Comté. The combination of concentrated old-vine Pinot Noir, fresh acidity, earthy character and structured but fine tannins makes this particularly well suited to braised meats, roasted poultry, mushrooms and traditional Burgundian dishes. Kermit Lynch specifically recommends the 2023 with beef stew, an especially natural match for the wine’s depth and savory character.