Nuits St Georges 1er cru Aux Damodes 2023 Domaine Benoit Chevallier

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 2023 from Domaine Benoît Chevallier is a rare and precious bottle, sourced from the most northern climat of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation, at the exact border with Vosne-Romanée. Within this small 4-hectare domaine run under organic farming, each parcel is treated as a singular work, and Les Damodes is no exception to this absolute standard. This wine embodies beautifully what the Côte de Nuits knows how to do best: power in service of elegance.

The terroir of Les Damodes

Situated in the northern part of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation, just south of Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, the climat of Les Damodes owes its name to mysterious etymology. Legend evokes fairies or druidesses inhabiting these rocky heights; more plausibly, the name may derive from rocks that could be confused with draped silhouettes, "dames hautes" (tall ladies), a pronunciation that drifted toward "damaudes" and then "damodes". The hillside here is steep, with a south-east exposure offering the vines generous sunlight throughout the day. The soils are chalky and shallow, among the most stony and sandy of the Côte de Nuits, ensuring remarkable drainage and naturally limiting vine vigour. This soil constraint, far from being a handicap, is at the origin of the great concentration and mineral fineness characteristic of this climat. Les Damodes belongs to that style of northern Nuits-Saint-Georges, more supple and fine than the crus of the centre or south of the appellation.

Tasting profile

The colour is a brilliant ruby with garnet reflections, clear and limpid. The nose delivers with elegance aromas of fresh red and dark fruits, tart cherry, redcurrant, blueberry, heightened by floral touches of violet and spiced notes of nutmeg and pepper. On the palate, the structure is both straight and silky: the climat of Les Damodes imparts to wines considerable finesse, tenderness and silkiness over a solid framework. The tannins are delicate and enrobed, bright acidity brings freshness, and the finish unfolds with length on mineral and fruity notes. With a few years of ageing, the wine will evolve toward nuances of forest floor, fine leather and gentle spices, revealing all the complexity of this exceptional terroir.

The domaine

Benoît Chevallier founded his domaine in 2019 by taking over family land cultivated for three generations in Vosne-Romanée. A former software engineer, he now single-handedly tends his vines, including Premier Cru parcels across Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. From his first vintage, the domaine was recognised with the Young Talent Trophy. Organic farming is practised across the entire domaine, with the constant ambition to reveal, vintage after vintage, the purity and authenticity inherent to each terroir of the Côte de Nuits.

Food pairing

This Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes pairs beautifully with roasted leg of lamb with herbs, pigeon with lentils, calf's kidneys with Dijon mustard, or a board of aged cheeses such as Époisses or Cîteaux. Its elegant structure and minerality also make it an ideal companion for an autumn game meal.