2010 Bienvenues Batard Montrachet

Slow out of the gates, the 2010 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet starts off subtly, then literally explodes on the mid-palate. Honey, almonds, tangerine and flowers are some of the many nuances that are laced throughout this utterly refined, impeccable Burgundy. The 2010 is intensely perfumed and delicate throughout. The delineated, vibrant aromas and flavors all mesh together on the huge, layered finish. Dazzling pretty much sums it up.

Slow out of the gates, the 2010 Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet starts off subtly, then literally explodes on the mid-palate. Honey, almonds, tangerine and flowers are some of the many nuances that are laced throughout this utterly refined, impeccable Burgundy. The 2010 is intensely perfumed and delicate throughout. The delineated, vibrant aromas and flavors all mesh together on the huge, layered finish. Dazzling pretty much sums it up. Anticipated maturity: 2016+. Proprietor Mounir Saouma thinks 2010 is a great vintage and therefore he wanted to push the boundaries as far as possible by slowing down the maturation of the wines. He kept temperatures very low in the cellar to encourage slow, long malolactic fermentations and long elevage in barrel. Among the unusual practices Saouma adopted with the 2010s is stirring the lees a full year after the harvest. At the time of my visit, in July 2012, none of the 2010 whites had been bottled, the only estate in Burgundy I know of that had still not bottled their 2010s. The wines Le Moine 2010s are big, rich and powerful. In many cases, the 2010s appear to have structures that are in the realm of reds. A number of the wines also show slight elements of botrytis that will become more pronounced over time. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot, which was too closed to properly evaluate. Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (919) 769-3000