BURGUNDY 2010 CAMPAIGN
Why buy 2010 Burgundy?
The demand for fine Burgundy is at an unprecedented level. Not only has the East found interest in the delights of this great wine region, but the increasing price of Bordeaux has pushed wine fine buyers to look elsewhere. The 2010 harvest was small and extremely good, pushing up demand even higher. Expect to find great value from the bottom end, with the Grand Crus offering stately wines for long term ageing.
"Yet 2010 was anything but an easy year. Everyone agrees that the year began over the nights of 19th and 20th December 2009, when the temperature dropped to between -17 and -19ºC, literally killing very many vines and retarding others so much that by the spring the potential crop had been much reduced. There was a silver lining to come, for the dismal summer could not have ripened a full crop, despite an exceptionally hot and dry first half of July, which was then followed by a cool and damp August. Outbreak of rot seemed inevitable by the end of the month, which brought the north wind to dry out the vineyards and, apart from a thunder storm on the 12th September that caused great damage to the region of Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay, growers in the Cote d'Or were able to hang on to harvest a small but beautifully-formed 2010 a full three weeks later than the previous year." Compared to 2009, the 2010s are less rich but more precise. Compared to 2008, they are more rich and more balanced with excellent precision and purity." Decanter January 2012
Wine Cellar will be offering Burgundy 2010 as the producers release their wines. Please make sure you have subscribed to our En-primeur database!
* Delivery - from June 2012 through to end 2012 depending on the producer.
* Payment required on invoice
Burgundy 2010 Pre-shipment Pricelist
Producers in 2010
Domaine Hudelot Noellat 2010 - Allen Meadows Burghound.com
I met this visit with Alain Hudelot's grandson Charles Van Canneyt who appears increasingly comfortable with his responsibilities of running this gifted domaine. His take on the 2010 vintage was that "I had ripe and clean fruit to work with so there was no reason not to try to capture those raw materials in the wines. As such, I decided to do a slightly longer cool maceration as I wanted a bit more extraction but I wanted the structure to be well-integrated so that the mouth feels would be soft and refined. We began picking on the 25th of September and brought in fruit that averaged between 12.5 and 13.5% in terms of potential alcohols. About the only thing not to like about the harvest were the reduced quantities as we obtained fully 30% less than we enjoyed in 2009." Van Canneyt is also taking responsibility for the vinifications and it's clear that he has a sensitive touch as the Hudelot wines only seem to be going from one success to another. His now in-bottle 2009s are terrific and this set of 2010s is arguably even better when considered across the entire group. This is a domaine that is on the rise and could potentially hit superstar status as it certainly has the vineyards to enable it to do so
Vicomte Liger Belair 2010 - Allen Meadows Burghound.com
Louis-Michel Liger-Belair told me that 2010 fashioned "superbly elegant and exceptionally fresh wines but unfortunately there isn't a lot of them. We lost some yield due to the frost but it was mostly limited to the vines at the bottom of La Colombière. The poor flowering though contributed the most to the loss of yield and all told we were down about 30% relative to what we obtained in 2009. I elected to begin picking on the 26th of September and while the fruit was really quite clean, it still required some sorting though no more or no less than usual. I strongly believe in thoroughly sorting everything no matter the vintage as it's the little details that can make a big difference. Potential alcohols were very good if not high and ranged between 12 and 13%. As to the wines, I very much like them as they reflect their individual terroirs clearly. If I had to try to describe 2010 in terms of vintage comparisons, I would say that it is a blend of the styles of 2001 and 2008." As the scores and comments suggest, the now in-bottle '09s have also turned out extremely well and a number of them are really quite stunning.
Ghislaine Barthod 2010 - Allen Meadows Burghoud.com
Louis Boillot 2010 - Allen Meadows Burghound.com
Louis Boillot, husband of Ghislaine Barthod (see above), described 2010 simply and concisely as "a magnificent vintage, which in my view is 2 to 3 times better than 2008, which was already pretty good! The only problem with it is that there is so little of it. In certain sectors I lost a lot of vines to the December 2009 frost and then due to the poor flowering, I had other parcels with as much as 70% shot berries! For example, there was so little fruit in my parcel of Fixin that I put it in the Côte de Nuits Villages [This is permitted by the AOC legislation.] Overall I was down fully 50% in 2010 relative to a normal vintage. I began picking on the 22nd of September and brought in very clean fruit with good sugars and excellent ripeness to the phenolics. The malos were very long and some only just finished in September. Overall, 2010 is a great vintage, indeed I prefer it to 2009." While it's not true of every wine, I agree with Boillot that many of his 2010s appear to have slightly greater potential than did his 2009s at the same period of their development.
Domaine de Lambrays 2010 - Allen Meadows Burghound.com
Régisseur (resident manager) Thierry Brouin didn't mince any words as he succinctly described the 2010 vintage as "rather difficult. While we didn't really have much in the way of vine deaths from the intense late season frost, the troubled flowering seriously reduced yields. We were off 30% in red and fully 40% in white. While potential alcohols were very good at between 12.5 and 13.5%, the low yields do present an economic issue for us because we already have consistently very low yields. Across all our appellations 2010 barely gave us 25 hl/ha, which isn't a lot. In fact there are only 4 barrels of the Les Loups. The fruit was quite clean though and the abundant shot berries provided plenty of concentration to the musts. I did my usual 100% whole cluster fermentation and I like the way the wines have been progressing since we racked them into barrel. They should be excellent and stylistically speaking, they are literally polar opposites from the much riper and more generous '09s.
Henri Boillot 2010
Maison Joseph Drouhin 2010
Geantet-Pansiot 2010
Jayer Gilles 2010
Domaine Jacques Prieur 2010
Bertrand Ambriose 2010
Domaine Ramonet 2010
BURGUNDY 2009
Why buy 2009 Burgundy?
In a great vintage such as 2009 the highly demanded producers of one of the most demanded wines in the world will generally sell out before release. En-primeur is a trusted system where you are able to secure your order before release as well as pay the lowest price.
The hype in 2009 seems to be on par with the benchmark 2005 vintage, although the wines are softer with lower acidity. In a region that struggles for ripeness and dry harvest conditions, 2009 enjoyed a warm and unspoilt summer leading to a excellent early harvest. Generally the reds are considered better than the whites, but this of course all depends on the producer. What 2009 has that 2005 didn't however is the strengthening demand from the East. This coupled with a weak Euro and added hype from the Bordeaux 2009 campaign will make Burgundy 2009 extremely sought after.
* Delivery - from June 2011 through to March 2012 depending on the producer.
* Payment required on invoice.
Entire Burgundy 2009 Pricelist
Producers in 2009
Domaine Gros Frères et Soeur, Vosne-Romanée
Run by Bernard Gros, this is one of three wine domaines owned by the Gros family, growers in Vosne Romanée since 1830. In 1963 the estate was divided into 4 parts and 2 of these were combined to create Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur. Bernard owns land in Clos de Vougeot, Richebourg, Grands Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée and Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Their Clos Vougeot parcel is especially highly praised, high up opposite Musigny. The wines are vinified in cement vats and are then matured in oak casks, mostly 100% new. They are richly coloured, aromatic wines in an opulent full-bodied style.
Hudelot-Noellat, Clos de Vougeot
Our first vintage, the highly rated 2008s, sold extremely well last year showing obvious appreciation this classic, terroir-driven style. Having tasted the 2009s from barrel, they contrast the tightly wound 2008s with a rounder, more rich shell. They are no less fragrant and classy however and are sure to be long-lived.
The Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a shear delight for the price and will be ready to drink on landing. The village Chambolle and Vosne are textbook offerings, following the classic house style. The Petit Vougeots is sandwiched between the Grand Crus of Clos Vougeot and Musigny, offering darker fruits and splendid value. Beaumonts and Suchots are certain highlights and will deliver much pleasure in 20 years for those willing to wait. The latter is a small parcel planted in 1920!
Their Clos de Vougeot is one of the best parcels (closer towards Musigny) of this large and sometimes disappointing Grand Cru vineyard and it is immensely rich and succulent. Finally, those who purchased 2008 Richebourg will be given preference to this small majestic offering of 2009.
Henri Boillot, Volnay
Farming in Burgundy since 1855, Henri is the 5th generation of the Boillot's to be a vigneron in the Cote d’Or. Son to Jean and brother to Jean-Marc (who is another successful Boillot producer), his holdings were passed down along with holdings of Etienne Sauzet who was a grandfather. Henri took over from his father Jean in 1985 and since 2005 the labels changed from Jean to Henri Boillot. In a very short space of time Henri Boillot has built an extraordinary reputation for the sheer quality of his domaine and negociant crus.
Domaine Henri Boillot consists of 14 hectares evenly split between white (mainly Premier Crus in Meursault and Puligny) and red (several Premier Crus in Savigny, Beaune, and Volnay). Boillot is fanatical about farming. and he avoids insecticides and herbicides, preferring sustainable farming techniques to preserve the integrity of the soil.
The style is one of concentration and power although the vinification is still quite traditional, with long macerations and vatting in 350l oak which imparts less new oak characters. We are showing the 2008 ratings from Alen Meadows to provide overview of the high quality of these beauties.
Clos de la Mouchere is a whopping 4ha monopole planted in 1940 which lies within Perrières of Puligny Montrachet. It is very highly regarded, even amongst his Grand Crus. 'A consistently splendid wine which combines richness and elegance' say Remington Norman.
These are not to be confused with Louis Boillot, based in the Cote de Nuits.
Louis Boillot, Chambolle Musigny
After visiting Ghislaine Barthod last year, her husband Louis Boillot asked me if I wanted to taste his wines as well. We compared the 2008s with the 2009s (which were still lying in barrel and slowly moving through malolactic) and I was completely blown away. I knew little of his wines and both vintages displayed wonderful terroir and vintage characters. But more importantly, they are offered at exceptionally reasonable prices and there are very little of the 2008s still available.
There is definitely a touch of Ghislaine's iconic class in his wines, ever since he moved his winery from Gevrey Chambertin into her cellar in Chambolle Musigny. "Since 2005 Boillot has been no less consistent than his wife, which is a high, high compliment in my book.... I really like the wines as they're very fresh with lots of clean and pure fruit that is elegant plus the round flavors are supported by silky tannins and great overall balance." Says Allen Meadows.
They are vivid and elegant but hold more opulent fruit and are less tightly knit on release than his wife's wines: the village Gevrey Chambertin has to be one of the bargains of the vintage.
Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle Musigny
Ghislaine Barthod describes 2009 as an "easy vintage, other than perhaps cleaning up after the hail storm. We began picking on the 8th of September and brought in a very clean crop with sugars that ranged from 12.5 to 13.3%. The hail limited yields for us but even with the loss, it still was almost a normal crop. I did a classic vinification and didn't vary at all from what I usually do. I think the wines will be very popular and even though they might be slightly riper than some prefer, the wines are finer than usual which should help." Fans of the domaine will notice a new wine for 2009, which is the Chambolle 1er Gruenchers. Barthod bought the .19 ha parcel from Patrick Landanger of Pousse d'Or, who himself had acquired it when he bought the remaining vineyards belonging to Moine-Hudelot. Barthod also acquired one ouvrée (.043 ha) of Chatelots, which will add roughly one barrel of production. - Allen Meadows
Liger Belair, Vosne Romanee
Louis-Michel Liger-Belair told me that 2009 is a "great vintage. I prefer my '09s to my '05s though I'm sure that this isn't the case everywhere. I picked between the 12th and the 27th of September and there was very little sorting work required. Yields were comfortable but correct with better than good sugars, which ranged from 12.5 to 14% and thus I chaptalized nothing. There were several changes that occurred in 2009, one of which was having converted my viticulture to 100% biodynamic farming. While I'd like to think that doing so made a difference, it's honestly too soon to tell. By contrast, one thing that I know made a big difference was the change of presses. I say this because it was immediately clear when the quality of the tannins began to change and thus I had far less juice with bitter tannins. Moreover, it helped with the quality of the lees as they were much finer than with my old press. Overall, I am really excited by the quality of the '09s and I can't wait to see them in a decade's time." As the scores and comments suggest, the now in-bottle '08s have also turned out very well, which is to say that they are largely consistent with my original predicted ranges. - Allen Meadows
Domaine des Lambrays, Morey St Denis
Régisseur (resident manager) Thierry Brouin lamented the "hail storm that hit on the 16th of May. It didn't affect quality at all since it was so early in the growing season but it did cost us considerably in terms of yields. And in a great vintage like 2009, it's a shame not to have had the benefit of a full yield. Still, we realized around 32 hl/ha, which isn't too bad. We began picking on the 12th of September and brought in fruit that averaged 12.9% of potential alcohol. I chaptalized the must to about 13.2% and for the vinification, I destemmed the Morey and the Les Loups 100% but used 100% of the stems of the grand cru. As to the wines, I would compare the '09s to a rounder 2005 or perhaps a slightly softer 2002." There had been speculation that Brouin was set to retire but because of a death in the Freund family, owners of Domaine des Lambrays, Brouin told me that he was going to stay on for "an indefinite period". - Allen Meadows
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Beaune
Domaine Jacques Prieur, Meursault
Domaine Ambroise, Nuits St George
Domaine Geantat Pansiot, Gevrey Chambertin
Jayer-Gilles, Haut Cotes
Domaine Ramonet, Chassagne Montrachet