The Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes of the just 14-hectare Domaine Philippe Gavignet lives up to its name! Some of the vines are approaching their 100th birthday, the oldest being from planting year 1926, the rest from 1954. Proper Pinot Noir Methusalems. These grow in the Village locations of Belle Croix and Allots in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The Philippe Gavignet Nuits-Saint Georges Vieilles Vignes is aged for around fifteen months in barriques, around a quarter of which are new for each vintage.
These old vines only produce a few berries, but the must has an immense concentration. The result is a Nuits-Saint-Georges that can compete with 1er Crus in terms of density and substance.
The 2019 vintage is considered one of the best in Burgundy. Yields were extremely low due to the very dry winter, but this resulted in incredibly concentrated wines. In addition, there are the old vines mentioned above with their low yield. The nice thing about this vintage is that it is still not clumsy. The wines have a tight tannin structure and dress these tannins so well in their extract that everything is in the best balance at a very high level.
Unfortunately, there are hardly any press reviews for this small family domain. Parker's Wine Advocate rated the 2013 vintage of Nuits Vieilles Vignes 90-92/100 and this vintage has been a very difficult one. This definitely shows the Gavignet's potential! The 2019 should be far superior to this one.
