Jean-Claude Boisset, Nuits-Saint-Georges `Le Coteau des Bois`

Jean-Claude Boisset, Nuits-Saint-Georges `Le Coteau des Bois`

Vintage: 2021

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2021BO292B216 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
Producer

Jean-Claude Boisset is a family-owned wine company founded in 1961, with their first parcel located in Gevrey-Chambertin. Today the company is based in Les Ursulines, a former convent in Nuits-Saint-Georges and is run by brother and sister duo Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset. In 2018, they opened a new state-of-the-art winery, reflecting their modern, technical approach to winemaking.

Since 2002, the wines have been made by Grégory Patriat. Previously head viticulturist and assistant winemaker at the legendary Domaine Leroy, Grégory has brought a detailed, vineyard-led approach to Jean-Claude Boisset. This approach is mirrored in Grégory’s winemaking, resulting in wines that reflect their origins with a harmony of freshness and fruit expression. After tasting the 2021 vintage, Jancis Robinson wrote that she “was utterly knocked out by the balance and refinement of Grégory Patriat’s wines at J-C Boisset”.

Today, Grégory makes 45 wines from across the Côte d’Or, working closely with his team of growers throughout the year. He gets just as excited about his plot of Grand Cru ‘Clos de la Roche’ (from which he has been buying fruit since 2002) or his vines in Chambolle-Musigny (which includes a parcel of the Premier Cru ‘Clos de l’Orme’), as he does with his Aligoté, his Fixin Blanc or other lesser-known appellations.

His philosophy is simple: work with old, massal selection vines that produce highly concentrated, low-yielding fruit. In the cellar, he is non-interventionist, preferring to let the fruit express itself. “70-80% of the quality comes from the vineyard,” he says. Vinification for the reds is in large, open-topped oak foudres, while the whites are fermented in Chassin barrels. Since 2007, Grégory has introduced larger 450-litre barrels to reduce the influence of oak.

Grégory’s wines have won no fewer than 74 medals and 13 trophies from prestigious competitions over the past eight years, including the International Wine Challenge ‘Clos de la Roche’ Trophy, which he has won five times.

Vineyards

Halfway between Dijon and Beaune and with an easterly exposure, the vineyards of Nuits-Saint-Georges cover six kilometres, with 160 hectares of Village-appellation vines. The range of soils, exposure and locations here creates a great diversity of sites. This vineyard, ‘Coteau des Bois’ is located on the slopes of Nuit-Saint-Georges, which you can see from the roof of Jean-Claude Boisset's winery. As the name suggests, the vines are on the hillside adjacent to a small forest, 'Bois de Charmois'. Grégory only uses the fruit from the top part of the slope and produces a wine characterised by great freshness. The 31-year-old vines are planted on clay and silt soils and are Guyot trained.

Vintage

2021 was a challenging vintage for winegrowers and producers in Burgundy. There were historically low yields due to catastrophic spring frost and hail, compounded by a cold, wet growing season. It is a return to a more classic vintage marked by bright acidity and freshness thanks to the cooler temperatures and resulting slower ripening, which allowed for full flavour development.

Vinification

The grapes were carefully sorted and harvested into small crates, then were sorted once again at the winery. 100% of the fruit was destemmed but not crushed, and gravity-fed into stainless steel tanks. Fermentation took place using only indigenous yeasts and lasted for 18 days, including 4 days of cold maceration as 12 °C, with 7 punch downs. The wine was then aged in lightly toasted French oak. No additional sulphur was added during winemaking.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

This Pinot Noir is ruby ​​red in colour. The expressive nose exudes aromas crunchy red berry fruit with subtle hints of liquorice. On the palate, ripe and round tannins give structure and a mouthwatering acidity carries the intense flavours onto the lingering finish.

Alcohol (ABV)

12.5%

Acidity

5.06 g/l

Residual Sugar

0.1 g/l

pH

3.76