Another wine where I question the oak regime, the 2011 Chardonnay Nuits Blanches Au Bouge comes mostly from Bien Nacido and was aged in new oak barrels. Medium gold in color, it has pretty apple blossom, orchard fruits and white flowers to go with more toasty, caramelized oak and vanilla on the nose. It holds everything together though, and has medium-bodied richness on the palate, good texture and racy acidity. I’m not completely sold on the overall balance here and would drink these sooner rather than later. It does have some charm, though.
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