2010 Corton Clos des Cortons

Good medium red with a hint of amber at the rim. At once more sedate and more expressive on the nose than the 2011, offering aromas of plum, red cherry, curry powder, cinnamon and tobacco (the iron element in the soil is apparent). A step up in both sweetness and energy in the mouth, with its penetrating red fruit flavors intensified by white pepper, soil notes and terrific salty minerality. Wonderfully seamless and fine-grained yet sharply delineated and gripping too, and subtly perfumed from start to finish. Really reverberates on the slowly rising finish, which displays terrific spicy lift. This beauty boasts a superb backbone of tannins and minerality to support a long evolution in bottle--and perhaps ultimately an even higher score. A compelling vin de terroir from vines whose roots are in the chalk, this bottling should ultimately merit an even higher score. (13.4% alcohol; 3.4 pH; 3.75 g/l acidity; 38 h/h)