2010 Volnay Mitans

The 2010 Volnay Les Mitans was made with 100% whole clusters and that comes through loud and clear in the wine's expressive aromatics. Layers of silky red berries follow as the aromas and flavors take shape. Rose petals, spices and licorice are layered into the sensual, totally beguiling finish. The Mitans needs time for the stems to fully harmonize with the rest of the elements, but there is no denying it is flat-out delicious. This is a great effort from Etienne de Montille.

The 2010 Volnay Mitans was made with 100% whole clusters and that comes through loud and clear in the wine’s expressive aromatics. Layers of silky red berries follow as the aromas and flavors take shape. Rose petals, spices and licorice are layered into the sensual, totally beguiling finish. The Mitans needs time for the stems to fully harmonize with the rest of the elements, but there is no denying it is flat-out delicious. This is a great effort from Etienne de Montille. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. Etienne de Montille describes 2010 as similar to 2002, but with less acidity. He adds that 2010 is a vintage where the end result was less apparent early on than years like 2006 and 2007, where the wines turned out pretty much as originally expected. According to de Montille, there isn’t a huge difference between the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits. That may be true here, but in my view it is not the case in a broader context. De Montille tends to pick early, and his wines in the cellar also finish their malos fairly quickly, which is how things played out in 2010 as well. Most of the 2010s had been racked into steel at the time of my visit, except for the Corton Clos du Roi, Clos Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts, Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts Christiane, which I tasted from barrel. The harvest started on September 20 and ran through the 28th. Some wines were lightly chaptalized. De Montille planned to start bottling in January 2012 with a handful of the entry-level bottlings. I also tasted the 2009s. I will have more to say in our April issue, but for now I can share that the wines have developed beautifully. De Montille’s decision to pick early certainly seems to have paid off. Importer: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808

(vinified with 100% whole clusters): Bright medium red. Pungent aromas of raspberry, strawberry, pepper and spices. Silky and suave in texture, with subtle rose petal and saline qualities giving the mid-palate an ethereal quality. But the peppery, green-edged tannins will need bottle aging. Just a hint of bitterness from the stems.