2010 Bienvenues Batard Montrachet

The 2010 Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a very pretty bouquet that unfurls in the glass with delicate touches of wild honey, almond and a touch of lemon thyme. The palate is well-balanced with a spicy, honeyed entry, although it needs more tension and terroir expression toward the finish, as if the vines were perhaps picked a day or two tardy? Drink now-2020. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700