2010 Clos Vougeot

The 2010 Clos Vougeot bursts onto the palate with a rush of dark red fruit. This is another wine that had a very slow malolactic fermentation (at the time of this tasting there was a portion of the wine still finishing its malo). The 2010 needs time to find its balance but the raw materials are superb.

Good full red. Rather hermetic, reduced nose hints at black cherry and botanical herbs. Extremely rich but closed, with a medicinal reserve to the black cherry, menthol and pepper flavors. Best today on the very long, strong finish, where the youthful tannins grab the palate and don't let go. This will need extended cellaring.

The 2010 Clos Vougeot bursts onto the palate with a rush of dark red fruit. This is another wine that had a very slow malolactic fermentation (at the time of this tasting there was a portion of the wine still finishing its malo). The 2010 needs time to find its balance but the raw materials are superb. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. I tasted an amazing range of 2010 reds at Jadot with long-term winemaker Jacques Lardiere and his successor Frederic Barnier. In order to make this large section of the report easier to read, I have broken up the wines into the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits. Lardiere and Barnier told me they were quite worried about the prospects for the harvest upon their return from summer vacations in August, but the year was saved by a perfect September. Yields are down 25-50% because of the frost and cold weather earlier in the year, but overall quality is very high. Lardiere and Barnier also noted that early on it appeared that there would be a wide gap in quality between the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits, but over time that gap narrowed to some extent. Still, there is little question the vintage was more challenging in the Cote de Beaune because of a rainier summer and overall higher precipitation throughout the year. Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7756