2010 Gevrey Chambertin Les Corbeaux Vieilles Vignes

Vines mainly planted in the 1920s. Next to Mazis and Chambertin so usually a bit closed. Really rather sumptuous fruit even if in quite a straitjacket at the moment. Very firm and ambitious. Silky textured on the finish. Lots of personality. Hums along. (JR)

The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux comes across as cool, inward and virile. It possesses stunning mid-palate presence and depth. Layers of black cherry, blackberry, spices and graphite emerge on the intense, palate-staining finish. Here, too, it is the energy and textural breadth that set the wine apart. This parcel was planted in 1920. I can’t wait to taste the Corbeaux in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. Denis Bachelet’s 2010s are fabulous across the board. I find the wines more harmonious and complete than the 2009s. The cool, long growing season provided a lovely counterpoint to the rich, fruit-driven aromas and flavors that are typical in these wines, and that marks some vintages (such as 2009) to a significant degree. Like many of his colleagues in Gevrey, Bachelet was hit by the severe December 2009 frost. The flowering, which typically takes one week, took an entire month because of bad weather, leaving the plants with a high percentage of shot berries. Bachelet began harvesting on September 25. The wines spent 15 days on the skins and were racked prior to the malos. Bottling was scheduled for March 2012. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; AOC Imports, CA; tel. (415) 279-8708; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640