2010 Puligny Montrachet Les Combettes
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Tasting notes
The 2010 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has just a touch of reduction on the nose, but far less than Fichet’s Les Referts tasted alongside, thus allowing the mineralité to show through, along with hints of custard creams and fresh figs in the background. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, offering citrus fruit mixed with black currant leaf and crushed stone, and delivering real tension and penetration toward the finish. This is impressive. Tasted at Sarah Marsh’s 2010 white burgundy tasting in London.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Pale gold. Edgy nose. Really quite chewy. Rather ungracious on the palate even if the vines were throbbing with life. Lots to chew on. A certain green-fruit quality. (JR)
Pale bright yellow. Reticent nose hints at minerals and resiny aromatic oils. Much less fruity and expressive today than the Folatieries, but with excellent cut to its reserved pineapple and mineral flavors. Has the definition and spine for a long life in bottle. Not at all a Meursault style of Combettes; in fact, this is tight and strict today.
A highly attractive melange of citrus, flowers and white stone fruits dazzles the palate as the 2010 Puligny-Montrachet Combettes shows off its striking personality. The Combettes impresses for its crystalline purity and sheer detail. It is one of the most overly mineral driven wines in the lineup. The energy and tension in the glass is pure 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2016+. Estate Manager Eric Remy has one of the sharpest memories of anyone I have ever met. His recall of specific dates and events is quite remarkable, so I will take advantage of that in reporting a very complete picture of the 2010 growing season. Accoring to Remy, in order to gain some insight on 2010, one has to start with the brutal frost of December 19, 2009, when temperatures dropped to a bone chilling -20C/-4F after having hovered around freezing for a few days prior. The very next day, temperatures shot up to 10C/50F. January was quite dry. A bit of snow fell in early February, but the rest of the month was dry. The last frosts at the domaine were recorded from March 10-14. The weather improved in April, especially towards the end of the month. May and June were cold. Flowering in the domine’s vineyards started on June 5th and ended between June 20 and 22. The first part of July was hot but stable, while the second part of the month was cold and humid. Unstable conditions persisted throughout August. A hailstorm with heavy thunder in Santenay on September 12 was a sign harvest time was approaching. A bit of botrytis was recorded on September 17. The harvest started on September 20. Yields came in around 45 hectoliters per hectare, pretty much in line with 2009, the only domaine I visited where that is the case. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661
About the producer
Domaine Leflaive is arguably Burgundy’s most famous white wine producer, setting the benchmark for top-quality Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune and the world. The property is the largest land-owner in Puligny-Montrachet, with extensive holdings in the village and five hectares of Grand Cru vineyards