Wine Wiki

domaine-henri-gouges

4 min read

Domaine Henri Gouges

Overview

Domaine Henri Gouges is the historic reference point estate of Nuits-St-Georges, founded by Henri Gouges in the 1920s. The domaine holds significant parcels in most of Nuits’ finest premiers crus including Saint-Georges, Vaucrains, Pruliers, and Chaignots. It is today run by Pierre and Grégory Gouges (Henri’s grandsons). In addition to its exceptional red wines, the domaine is also famous for producing one of Burgundy’s most unusual wines: a white Nuits-St-Georges from a natural mutation of Pinot Noir to Pinot Blanc/Gris that was discovered in the Perrières vineyard in the 1930s.

Appellations

  • Nuits-St-Georges (premier crus: Saint-Georges, Vaucrains, Pruliers, Chaignots, Porêts; village)
  • Nuits-St-Georges “La Perrière” Blanc (from Pinot Blanc/Gris mutation)

Key Wines

  • Nuits “Les Saint-Georges” (1er cru) — the grand cru of Nuits in everything but name
  • Nuits “Les Vaucrains” (1er cru) — powerful, tannic, exceptional longevity
  • Nuits “Les Pruliers” (1er cru)
  • Nuits “La Perrière” Blanc — rare white Pinot Noir mutation; a Burgundy curiosity of high quality

Style Notes

Gouges produces wines of notable structure and depth, entirely in keeping with Nuits’ character of earthiness and grip. The Saint-Georges and Vaucrains are long-lived wines that need extended cellaring. The style is traditional and terroir-focused, with moderate oak influence.

2023 Vintage Notes (VFTC #115)

Visited January 14, 2025. Whites picked September 4th, reds from September 10th. Everything already bottled except Vaucrains (assembled in tank), Pruliers and St. Georges (still in cask). Utterly classical vintage — reds around 13% alcohol. Tasted via Coravin (bottled wines); Chenes Carteaux not included as Gilman suspected the sample was oxidized. With the exception of Chaignots, all reds quite black fruity. “They are all exceptional.”

Reds:

  • Les St. Georges: 94+ pts (2040–2090) — “stunning”; fine-grained, sappy, vibrant, soil-driven
  • Les Vaucrains: 94+ pts (2040–2090) — “carries the imprimatur of elegance that is the hallmark of the best reds of 2023”
  • Clos des Porrets St. Georges: 94 pts (2038–2085) — “great juice”; sappy, lovely soil foundation
  • Les Pruliers: 94 pts (2038–2085) — “first class Pruliers in the making!”; still in cask
  • Chaignots: 92+ pts (2036–2085) — picked Sept 13th in the mud one day after the deluge; 20% new oak; red and black cherries
  • Nuits St. Georges: 91 pts (2032–2075+) — “I love the balance and backend grip”; only 10% new oak
  • Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits: 89 pts (2030–2045+) — 30% new oak
  • Bourgogne Rouge: 88+ pts (2028–2045)

Whites:

  • Nuits “la Perriere” Blanc: 94 pts (2025–2050+) — “one of the finest young vintages of this wine I have ever had”; 30% new oak; pinot blanc mutation
  • Bourgogne Blanc: 90 pts (2025–2040) — same genetic mutation as la Perriere

2024 Vintage Notes (Burghound #101)

Gregory Gouges described 2024 as “probably the most exhausting season I’ve ever had to deal with.” Lost 20-30% from flowering, then vicious mildew + black rot. Continued farming organically despite losing 80% of crop. Picked September 18; “huge amount of sorting.” Yields ~14 hl/ha (very varied). Potential alcohols ~12%, topped up ~0.5%. Vinified softly but “extractions did not happen automatically.” The Vaucrains is “not its usual self” — more refined than the typical “big bad boy.”

2024 Scores (mostly bottled; Clos des Porrets and Vaucrains from barrel):

  • Les Vaucrains 1er: (91-93) — mix of younger/older vines (~50+ avg); “backward, compact and beautifully lingering”; more refined than typical
  • Les St. Georges 1er: (90-93) — 1.1 ha of 55+ year old vines; “not quite as compact as it usually is”
  • Clos des Porrets St. Georges 1er: (90-93) — 3.57 ha monopole; “one to consider”
  • Les Pruliers 1er: (90-92) — 1.3 ha, 80% 75+ year old vines; “more refined” than typical
  • Les Chaignots 1er: 90 — “I very much like the texture”
  • Les Chênes Carteaux 1er: 90 — post-bottling reduction
  • Nuits St. Georges: 88 — “very rich, round and generously proportioned”
  • Bourgogne HCdN “Les Dames Huguettes”: 86

My Tastings

(none yet)

Sources

  • sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Jan-Feb 2025 #115.txt
  • sources/articles/Burghound/Burghound Issue 101 - 2024 and 2023 Cote de Nuits Reds.txt

Graph View

Backlinks