Like the Vosne-Romanée Aux Br?lées, the 2009 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers is a ripe, flamboyant wine that offers up a lovely bouquet of ripe black fruit, licorice, asphalt and incipient notes of rich soil. On the palate, the wine is fleshy and full-bodied, its structural elements entirely enveloped in an ample core of sweet fruit. For all its undeniable lusciousness, this remains nicely balanced, and its fruit tones avoid any suggestion of roasted, overripe aromas; but it will always be a comparatively hedonistic, pleasure-bent rendition of the Méo Murgers.

The 2009 Nuits St. Georges Aux Murgers is a relatively delicate style of Nuits that nevertheless possesses good intensity in its fruit. Floral notes add lift and freshness on the close. This is another beautifully open, expressive wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Jean-Nicolas Meo began harvesting on September 12. He did 17-18 days of cuvaison and did one racking before the wines were prepared for bottling. I was not able to taste a handful of wines that were racked just before my visit, including the Cros Parantoux. Meo is among the growers who believe the 2009s will age well on their depth of fruit.Importer: Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524