2010 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru

Cool, mineral notes run throughout the 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaut Saint Jacques. Dark red cherries, plums, licorice and new leather flesh out on the generous finish. Occasional hints of Gevrey rusticity and wildness come through, but those notes are well balanced throughout and only serve to give the wine more personality, something it has in spades.

Cool, mineral notes run throughout the 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques. Dark red cherries, plums, licorice and new leather flesh out on the generous finish. Occasional hints of Gevrey rusticity and wildness come through, but those notes are well balanced throughout and only serve to give the wine more personality, something it has in spades. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. It is always fascinating to settle in for a tasting with proprietor Mounir Saouma. With the exception of Jadot, I can't think of a single maison that draws across such a broad range of top vineyards. When taken together, the whites and reds provide insight to the performance of dozens of the finest sites in the region. Saouma is not much for comparisons when discussing 2010, saying quite simply, -2010 is 2010.- The vintage was not without some disappointments. Because of the miniscule yields, there is no 2010 Romanee St. Vivant or Richebourg. As always, these are some of the most unmanipulated wines being made in Burgundy. When I tasted the 2010s in November 2011, the wines had never been sulphured or racked. Saouma had just finished bottling his 2009s (a vintage many bottled on the early side) in October 2011! Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639

Good full red. Wild nose offers redcurrant, cranberry, clove and leather. Rich and large-scaled but with a restrained sweetness to the cherry and raspberry fruit. Best today on the long, palate-dusting finish. This will be a wild boy.