2010 Clos Vougeot

Good bright, medium red. Pungent minerality, complex soil tones and noble herbs on the nose. Then sweeter and fuller than the Beaux Monts in the mouth, with slightly medicinal cherry and marzipan flavors complicated by herbs and underbrush. With its solid acidity, this is ultimately more backward than the Beaux Monts. Most impressive today on the back end, which features substantial ripe tannins and building flavors of black cherry, licorice and mint. The pHs in 2010 are in the 3.45 to 3.5 range, noted Grivot, with acidities between 3.6 and 3.7 grams per liter.

The 2010 Clos de Vougeot is another fabulous wine bursting with energy and a sense of urgency that is hard to capture with mere words. Freshly cut roses, crushed rocks and red berries come together beautifully in the glass. The Clos de Vougeot is impeccable and totally engaging from start to finish. The only possible downside is that the seriously firm tannins will require considerable bottle age to soften.

The 2010 Clos de Vougeot is another fabulous wine bursting with energy and a sense of urgency that is hard to capture with mere words. Freshly cut roses, crushed rocks and red berries come together beautifully in the glass. The Clos de Vougeot is impeccable and totally engaging from start to finish. The only possible downside is that the seriously firm tannins will require considerable bottle age to soften. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2035. I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600