Wine: 2009 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges les Porets St. Georges
Region: Burgundy
Sokolin Price: $69.99/btl
Rating: 92-94 BH

Over and over, the 2009 Burgundy vintage is being proclaimed by many prominent wine critics as an outstanding one. Maybe fate had its hand in producing such a remarkable '09 vintage - Wine Spectator noted that "the vintages on the 'nines' have produced some memorable harvests - like 1999, 1989, 1969, 1959 & 1949..." And our clients have been scooping up the '09s by the case load! With the last really great Red Burgundy vintage produced in 2005, Burgundy lovers are ready and anxious for the '09 vintage! Some of the 2009s have just arrived, so the waiting game is over.

Since most Burgundian producers make extremely tiny quantities, the supply of many of the region's wines is very, very limited. When we taste the wines of this region, we are always reminded what a special area Burgundy truly is, and why the wines from this part of the world command the prices they do. Serious wine lovers know and expect to pay up for Burgs.

Burgundy is divided into five regions with the Cote d'Or being the area that produces the most renowned wines. The Cote d'Or encompasses two areas known as the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune. The Cote de Nuits produces almost entirely red wines made from just one grape varietal, Pinot Noir. Last evening with our dinner of grilled lamb chops and fresh corn on the cob, we opened up a bottle of Burgundy from the Cote de Nuits - 2009 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges les Porets St. Georges, and it was just incredible! Faiveley is one of Burgundy's most celebrated producers, and how lucky we were to experience it. After tasting and enjoying this wine, we can say that Burgundy buyers and lovers definitely have something to be excited about with this vintage! The '09s are 100% worth the hype and attention they've been receiving.

The Nuits St. Georges les Porets St. Georges was so elegant and graceful - characteristics you find in a lot of high-end Burgs. That's one thing we love about Pinot Noirs - they aren't massive fruit bombs with a lot of punch and kick. The top notch ones are flavorful, yet subtle, controlled and refined. Faiveley's Nuits St. Georges les Porets St. Georges is an excellent example of a classic Pinot Noir. With its medium bodied mouth-feel and brilliant garnet/ruby color, it displayed notes of fruit, fresh summer flowers and a slight touch of earth on the nose. And no decanting is necessary on this wine. We didn't decant, and it seemed to be drinking very well with a very lengthy finish. 

Recommendation: The 2009 Burgundies are just hitting the market, and we have a hunch these wines aren't going to be around for long. With very tiny quantities and the first superb vintage produced in the last 4 consecutive years, every Burgundy collector and drinker should get their hands of some of these wines now.

Our Score - 94+ points