2010 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru 'Les Petits Monts' 0,75 l Lucien Le Moine

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Les Petits Monts comes across as soft, round and accessible. It doesn't have the vibrancy or personality of the Suchots, which is surprising. I will be curious to see if the wine is more revealing in the future. There is plenty of time, as these 2010s won't be bottled until after the summer. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. 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 medium red. Sexy nose combines black fruits, truffle and vanillin oak. Sweet and silky on the palate, with mellow flavors of dark berries, chocolate, cappuccino and vanilla. Very rich wine, but today the strong vanillin quality mutes the fruit. Mounir Saouma has this wine in one new and one once-used barrel, in order to temper the "caramel vanilla flavor" he found in the grapes.