Domaine Henri Gouges
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Hardly any other winery is as closely linked to the history of Nuits-Saint-Georges as Domaine Henri Gouges. For over a century, the family has shaped the style of the village and is counted amongst the great guardians of the Burgundian terroir philosophy.
Whilst many famous estates have made their name primarily through spectacular Grand Cru vineyards, Henri Gouges’ reputation is based on a different strength: an uncompromising interpretation of the Premier Crus of Nuits-Saint-Georges (where there are no Grand Crus) and a firm belief that greatness stems not from cellar techniques, but from the vineyard itself. The story begins in 1919, when Henri Gouges (1889–1967) acquired his first vineyards following the First World War. The economically difficult times enabled him to build up an exceptional estate, which today comprises around 14 hectares exclusively within the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Henri Gouges, however, was far more than just a winegrower. He was one of Burgundy’s most influential figures, championed bottling on the estate from an early stage – something by no means a given at the time – and played a key role in safeguarding appellations of origin. As president of the Syndicat des Grands Vins de Bourgogne and Burgundy’s representative on the INAO, he made a significant contribution to the development of the French appellation system. The family estate has been continuously expanded over four generations. Today, Grégory and Antoine Gouges, great-grandsons of the founder, run the estate. They combine the family’s traditional style with a contemporary approach to viticulture. The vineyards are located exclusively in Nuits-Saint-Georges; the grapes are harvested by hand, and vinification is relatively restrained, using around 10 to 30 per cent new oak.
The estate includes some of the appellation’s most renowned Premier Cru sites: Les Saint-Georges, Les Vaucrains, Les Pruliers, Les Chaignots and, above all, the Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges, a family monopoly. This wine in particular is regarded as a prime example of the estate’s classic style. In addition, there are village wines and a number of Bourgogne appellations. Unlike many top estates, Henri Gouges does not own any Grand Cru plots – a fact that serves to enhance rather than diminish the estate’s reputation. Many wine lovers regard the estate’s finest Premier Crus as being of Grand Cru quality. Henri Gouges made a remarkable discovery as early as 1930. In a Pinot Noir vineyard, he discovered a mutation with white berries, which later became known as Pinot Gouges – a variant of Pinot Blanc. To this day, small quantities of white wine are produced from it, including the Premier Cru La Perrière, a rarity within Nuits-Saint-Georges. Stylistically, the domaine’s wines have long been synonymous with a distinctly classic Burgundian style. Earlier vintages were often regarded as austere, tannic and closed, frequently requiring ten or fifteen years of bottle ageing to reveal their full elegance. This uncompromising approach made Henri Gouges a benchmark for lovers of long-lived Burgundies, but put off some connoisseurs of younger wines. Under Grégory and Antoine Gouges, the style has evolved gently. Today, the wines possess greater precision, finer tannins and a clearer fruit profile, without losing sight of their terroir. Vinification is carried out gently using gravity, with extraction being more like an infusion than a forceful process, bringing transparency and the expression of the terroir more to the fore. The result is wines that now appear more approachable, whilst still possessing enormous ageing potential.
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