Nuits St Georges Aux Murgers Sylvain Cathiard 2017 (750ML)

91-93 Points, William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Aromas of raspberries, spices, dark chocolate, plums and sweet soil tones introduce the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers, a medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional wine, with excellent concentration, abundant but velvety structuring tannins and lovely mid-palate amplitude. Nuits' proclivity to rusticity is rendered with Vosne elegance. Sébastien Cathiard has produced some of the wines of the 2017 vintage, a stunning portfolio that vindicates his decision to harvest late this year. The rudiments of the approach are simple: meticulous viticulture-though not, I should add, especially low yields-and careful sorting, followed by complete destemming, macerations of 20-30 days and maturation in barrel from some 15-18 months. The impact of new oak, once a defining feature of the Cathiard style, is now significantly less obtrusive, a thoroughly positive evolution that's been in evidence over the last few vintages and which seems to have been consummated with a beautifully integrated range of 2017s. Unfortunately, the market has already taken notice, and these wines are scarce and expensive. What's more, the quality Cathiard has achieved with this vintage will only add fuel to the fire." 1/19

92-94 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru, matured in 60% new oak, has an expressive bouquet of dark berry fruit infused with bay leaf and black tea, the terroir a little more articulated than the Aux Thorey at the moment. The palate is smooth and sensual on the entry, an equal mixture of red and black fruit, with a gentle grip on the lightly peppered finish. Excellent. " 1/19

90-92 Points, Allen Meadows, Burghound: "Reduction. The very supple and relatively refined lighter weight flavors are not especially dense but there is excellent depth and persistence on the moderately austere finale. Despite the fact that this is not as concentrated as it usually is, the balance is excellent and this should have no trouble rewarding a decade or more of cellaring." 1/19

94 Points, Tim Atkin, Decanter: "More backward and showing more oak than Sébastien Cathiard's Aux Thorey premier cru, Murgers hails from a 0.48ha parcel planted in two stages, in 1955 and 1975. It's a firmer, more structured wine with plenty of colour, some sweet spices, dense plum and blueberry fruit and a backbone of tannin.Drinking Window 2025 - 2032." 10/18

93 Points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy: "Fine deep purple with a pleasingly deep fruit, plums and damsons, on the nose. This is robust but also quite accessible and the fruit and oak are well knit. All most elegant for a Nuits-St-Georges." 11/19