Wine enthusiasts have been urged to get their hands on as much 2010 Burgundy as they can, as it may be the last affordable exceptional vintage.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, wine critic Will Lyons says that 2010 is shaping up to be one of those "rare, remarkable vintages" in which exceptional wines are produced in Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone, Italy and beyond.

However, Burgundy will be the one in demand. Interest in Bordeaux from Asia has been high for the last few years, but as prices for the First Growths such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Latour reached record levels, demand has fallen and attention has switched to Burgundy.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti is now the top seller in Hong Kong auctions, and drinkers will be keen to get their hands on the top wines from the 2010 vintages.

The bad news is that occasional periods of bad weather severely affected the grape yields, so there are fewer bottles available. The good news is that, according to Lyon, they are of very high quality.

"In short, the reds from 2010 are an absolute joy to taste - many on a par, if not better than, the 2009s," he notes.

"The best reds display lots of red fruit on the nose, such as cherry and raspberry, as opposed to dark fruit in 2009."

However, the expert goes on to suggest that the high quality and rising interest in Burgundy will combine to push prices higher in future - whenever it is that the next exceptional vintage comes along.

Enthusiasts are therefore urged to look at getting hold of some 2010 Burgundy, "the last affordable exceptional vintage".

A number of wine merchants have reported to the Drinks Business that they have been reduced their pack offers in order to ensure that new demand for 2010 Burgundy is met and there remains enough to go round.