2013 Régis Forey Nuits-St.-Georges (MAGNUM)

For years, this domaine's claim to fame was that they tended the vines and produced the wine of the infamous La Romanée Grand Cru under a métayage agreement dating back to the 1950s between the owners of La Romanée, the Liger-Belair Family, and Regis's father, Jean Forey. In return for working and vinifying the wine, they were paid half the crop. With the arrival of Monsieur Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, the agreement was not renewed after the 2001 vintage and the vines returned to the Liger-Belair family. To make matters more difficult, he was renting cellar space from the family as well. Foreseeing the loss of both vineyards and cellar, Regis created a new winery facility on the outskirts of Vosne-Romanée and here we are today. The Morey-St-Denis is a newer wine as this TINY domaine tries to expand its holdings. The Nuits-St-Georges comes from Regis's mother's family in southern NSG in Prémeaux, so this is a more feral and tannic example of the village. The Vosne-Romanée is from three plots: Chalandins, Quartiers de Nuits, and Hautes Maizières, all of which often give 1er cru quality and border Clos de Vougeot or Echezeaux. Of the two NSG 1er Crus, the Les Saint Georges has a more nervy and punchy structure with more power from its 80-year old vines. The Perrieres is softer and more succulent.