2010 Volnay Taillepieds

The 2010 Volnay Taillepieds comes across as a blend of the Mitans and the Champans. It has the aromatic lift of the former and the textural richness of the later. This is a beautifully balanced wine loaded with sheer class and pedigree. Red berries, spices and flowers are some of the many nuances that are woven into the finish. The Taillepieds was made with 100% whole clusters, but unlike the Mitans, the whole clusters seem to mark this wine to a slightly lesser degree, at least today. 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

(100% vendange entier ): Medium red. Aromas of redcurrant, tobacco, dusty spices and rose petal. Suave, precise and intense if still youthfully tight; this appears to possess the density and saline extract to support the whole-cluster vinification. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins, a light peppery note and lovely lingering perfume. Excellent potential here.