2010 Chassagne Montrachet Les Murees

All of the best elements of the vintage and the Fontaine-Gagnard style come to life in the 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean Clos des Murees. At once rich yet weightless, the Clos St. Jean Clos des Murees impresses for its delineation and fabulous overall balance. Slate, white stone fruits, crushed rocks and flowers are some of the many notes that flow through the impeccable, refined finish. This is a great showing from Fontaine-Gagnard. Anticipated maturity: 2012+. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at Fontaine-Gagnard. The 2010s are rich, deep and racy, but also show tremendous transparency with regards to site and have a little more polish than is customary. Celine Fontaine told me she was very surprised by the concentration of the wines given the poor weather during the summer, but that, ultimately, it was the small size of the berries that played a big role in giving the wines their personalities. The harvest started on September 21. All of the 2010s were bottled in August 2011. Although I did not taste any of the reds, Fontaine also told me a number of the estate’s Pinot vineyards were heavily affected by the December 2009 frost and required replanting. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Jeffrey Wellburn Selections, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 780-4446

Very ripe aromas of yellow peach and honey. Ripe, peachy and easygoing, but with a solid mineral underpinning. Finishes with tangy, ripe yellow fruits and very good length. In a distinctly charming style and likely to give considerable early pleasure.