2010 Vosne Romanee Les Brulees

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees comes across as relatively accessible for the year. The bright red fruit shows good definition and harmony on the mid-weight, open finish. There is plenty of energy here, if not quite the complexity or pedigree of the finest wines in the lineup. The Brulees should enjoy a wide drinking window. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030. I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees comes across as relatively accessible for the year. The bright red fruit shows good definition and harmony on the mid-weight, open finish. There is plenty of energy here, if not quite the complexity or pedigree of the finest wines in the lineup. The Brulees should enjoy a wide drinking window. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030. ||I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue. Wine Advocate.February, 2012