2010 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru

(racked a week before my visit): Bright red. Very pure, high-pitched aromas of red fruits, flowers, blood orange and citrus zest. Silky, pretty and sharply delineated, but not showing its texture today. This intense, very pure wine really saturates the mouth with flavor and vibrates on the tangy finish. Notable more for its perfume than for its weight and finishes with very suave, fine-grained tannins.

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts blossoms on the palate with tons of class and finesse. I especially like the restrained style, but at the same time there is no shortage of personality and depth in this totally sexy, voluptuous Beaux Monts. Persistent saline notes lend brightness to the well-articulated finish. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2030. Once again this year I tasted with Charles Van Canneyt, Alain Hudelot’s grandson. Yields were down 30% across the board, a significant drop but not terrible considering the year. Overall the 2010s are very strong and seem to point towards a style that is a bit more refined than in the past. Importer: Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639