2010 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

(60% new oak; from vines averaging at least 65 years of age): Good bright red. Aromas of raspberry, smoky minerality and sweet oak. Dense, sappy and savory, with noteworthy depth and detail to the creamy flavors of raspberry, stone and spices. Much more material here than in the regular village offering. Finishes with suave tannins and excellent persistence. I'd hold this wine for a good four years before pulling the cork. An excellent village wine in the making.

The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes blossoms onto the palate with an effortless grace that is hard to describe with mere words. There is tremendous depth and richness in the glass, but no heaviness whatsoever. Layers of fruit radiate through to the generous, resonant, yet ethereal finish. This is a stunning wine for the appellation. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Arnaud Mortet is focused on making elegant, refined wines. In 2010 he sought to achieve that through gentle extraction and less use of new oak barrels, which is broadly the direction his winemaking is headed, notwithstanding the many particulars that present themselves each year. Mortet planned to age the 2010s fifteen months in barrel, then rack the wines into steel. Yields are of course down across the board, but that won’t be much of a surprise to readers given the vintage. Overall, the Mortet 2010s are striking for their beauty and transparency. The 2009 also showed brilliantly from bottle. I will report on those wines in the April issue. Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes blossoms onto the palate with an effortless grace that is hard to describe with mere words. There is tremendous depth and richness in the glass, but no heaviness whatsoever. Layers of fruit radiate through to the generous, resonant, yet ethereal finish. This is a stunning wine for the appellation. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. ||Arnaud Mortet is focused on making elegant, refined wines. In 2010 he sought to achieve that through gentle extraction and less use of new oak barrels, which is broadly the direction his winemaking is headed, notwithstanding the many particulars that present themselves each year. Mortet planned to age the 2010s fifteen months in barrel, then rack the wines into steel. Yields are of course down across the board, but that won’t be much of a surprise to readers given the vintage. Overall, the Mortet 2010s are striking for their beauty and transparency. The 2009 also showed brilliantly from bottle. I will report on those wines in the April issue. Wine Advocate.February, 2012