2010 Batard Montrachet

The 2010 Batard-Montrachet is pure class through and through. A silky frame supports layers of expressive, perfumed fruit as this polished wine continues to open in the glass. Floral notes flow through to the long, nuanced finish. The Batard is quite subtle for the vintage, but its pure refinement is impossible to miss. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. (Not yet released) Henri Boillot recently finished his move to a new modern cellar in Champ Lins, one of the industrial sections of Meursault. Boillot describes his 2011s as having a bit more richness and better balance of fruit and acidity than the 2010s. Based on what I tasted, it’s hard to argue that point. Boillot seems to be one case where the 2011s have the potential to be better across the board than the 2010s. As is often the case here, the village wines are particularly strong. Importers: Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769, Cynthia Hurley French Wines, West Newton, MA Tel 617-965-4251 www.cynthiahurley.com and Chelsea Ventures, LLC, 1601 South Canal St, Chicago, IL 60616 tel. 847-920-5052

Greenish yellow. Peach, orange, clove oil, hazelnut and vanillin oak on the nose. Lush and voluminous, with considerable power and a solid impression to the stone fruit and pineapple flavors. Wonderfully chewy and sappy wine with a building whiplash of a finish. The sweetness of fruit is nicely buffered by underlying minerality. This may be the richest 2010 that I tasted here today (the alcohol is 13.2%), and will need extended aging.

The 2010 Batard-Montrachet is pure class through and through. A silky frame supports layers of expressive, perfumed fruit as this polished wine continues to open in the glass. Floral notes flow through to the long, nuanced finish. The Batard is quite subtle for the vintage, but its pure refinement is impossible to miss. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. Aug 2012, www.robertparker.com