Following the hype of the 2009 vintage in Burgundy, initially the region seemed a little shy to show outward praise for the vintage, whilst the wines were in barrel. Perhaps put off by the noise their counterparts in Bordeaux were making about the 2010 vintage or maybe it was the tiny volumes many producers had to work with. Now in bottle and arriving / arrived around the world, these wines are starting to stand tall – deservedly so.
December 2009’s cold weather got the vintage off to a slow start, millerandage (poor fruit set) ensuring a small crop. Summer started off well, with a warm July, August was nothing to write home about and all seemed settled. A late thunder storm swept through the region with relatively small damage as a strong wind followed and dried out the fruit. 2010 was not consistent throughout Burgundy and can be classified as a winemakers year. A year in which you need to either know the producer well or take the advice of a good retailer. In some cases much selection was required as the fruit arrived at the Domaines, those with the resources to make such decisions have produced outstanding wines.
Tasting through the 2010 it was clear the producers I talked to loved the vintage, many preferring it to the 2009, I must say, for me, I do prefer the 2010 wines. I loved the forward fruit, pined together with structured tannins and a taught acidic backbone. Whilst a large generalization, if you are looking for the differences between recent vintages, the acidity and freshness of the 2010 for me characterized the vintage. I enjoyed the 2009 wines, loving the fruit ripeness and in many cases the round, soft edges.
The white wines from the Cote d’Or in 2010 are something quite special, the structure is consistent with the 2007 vintage white wines with stronger acidity ensuring incredible freshness and vibrancy.
Our 2010 Burgundies are starting to arrive, a complete review of the vintage and the wines will soon be available online, we will add the link to this shortly.