Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Aux Cras" Vieilles Vignes AOC 2022

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Aux Cras" Vieilles Vignes 2022 is a red Burgundy of translucent clarity, one that relies not on power but on precision of line. Dark cherry and wild raspberry sit alongside violet and fine smoke, underpinned by a chalky coolness. Bruno Clavelier says he seeks neither color nor tannin; what he seeks is transparency and finesse. This wine proves him right.

Aux Cras lies at the northern edge of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The domaine farms 6.5 hectares in the Côte de Nuits, based in an unmarked building on the main road at the edge of Vosne-Romanée. The vines are largely from the 1930s and 1940s, planted by Joseph Brosson, the maternal grandfather, who rebuilt the estate plot by plot from 1935 onward after phylloxera and the wars. Their roots reach deep into the limestone subsoil, naturally yielding low crops.

Pinot Noir, almost exclusively the traditional Burgundian clone Pinot Noir Fin. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in open, conical oak vats, with up to 30 percent whole clusters, over roughly three weeks; extraction is carried out by manual punch-down (pigeage). This is followed by 16 to 18 months in barrels from Tronçais and Allier, only a third of them new. Neither fined nor filtered, minimally sulfured, bottled under protective gas.

The texture is silky, the tannin fine-grained, with a saline vein of acidity holding the wine together. The finish is long, carrying a smoky, mineral spice. If opened young, it benefits from decanting.

The label indicates biodynamic farming; the domaine has been certified organic since 1999 and biodynamic since 2005. Its wines are sought after by collectors worldwide.