Drouhin’s 2008 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Proces – from a mixture of old, diseased, and recently re-planted vines – smells of tart black fruits, rhubarb, and black pepper, which follow on a sweetly ripe yet refreshing as well as invigoratingly pungent palate. Hints of cedar and cinnamon complement the wine’s sweetness and add to the appeal of its long finish. This should merit attention for the next 8-10 years. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770