The 1998 Vaucrains from the Chevillon family is one of the more approachable examples
of the vintage for current drinking, but this does not mean that there are not still several layers of
complexity still to unfold...
The 1998 Vaucrains from the Chevillon family is one of the more approachable examples
of the vintage for current drinking, but this does not mean that there are not still several layers of
complexity still to unfold here, and it remains early days for peak drinking of this beautiful wine.
The deep and utterly refined nose wafts from the glass in a blend of plums, black cherries,
venison, nutskin, fresh herb tones, blossoming notes of forest floor and a discreet framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with
lovely mid-palate depth, ripe, beautifully-integrated and chewy tannins, excellent focus and grip
and impressive balance on the very long and soil-driven finish. Approachable today, I would be
inclined to still give this wine another three or four years of bottle age and really let it get
comfortably up into its plateau of maturity. Though I did not taste them for this report, I would
think that the normally more forward (in the context of classic Nuits, mind you!) premier crus
from the domaine, such as Chaignots and Bousselots, would be better candidates for current
drinking, while the Cailles, Vaucrains and Les St. Georges here from 1998 are allowed a few
more years of slumber in the cellar. This is a superb example of the vintage. 2017-2040.