Type of Wines

wines

As fine as the Griotte and Charmes are in 2007, the Chapelle takes the quality up to the next level in this vintage, as it combines the precision and nascent complexity of the Charmes and the deeper and sappier profile of the Griotte. The bouquet is outstanding, as the wine jumps from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, cocoa, game, blood orange, and black soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with great focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the complex and classy finish. A great bottle of Chapelle. (Drink between 2014 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGLicorice, game, and sweetly-ripe dark berries inform a broad-shouldered Ponsot 2007 Chapelle-Chambertin that is both less refined and less striking than the corresponding Griotte, but hugely convincing in its expansive and energetic way: palpably dense and finely-tannic, finishing with wave-like dynamic and intensity of sappy berry juices, bitter-sweet herbal essences, and meat stock. Yet another Ponsot 2007 remarkable for its vintage, this should reward 15-20 years of cellaring.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSeems marked by oak, yet with substance underneath. Cedar and sandalwood aromas are backed by cherry, currant, anise and mineral flavors, but overall this is sweet, intense and saturated on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2025. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA ripe liqueur-like nose featuring red and blue berry fruit that has violet and rose fragrances around the edges that precede rich, full, sappy and well-muscled big-bodied flavors that are seductive, minerally and textured and culminate in a punchy, energetic and driving finish. I like the underlying sense of tension here and while the big tannins are less sophisticated than those of the Griotte, there is perhaps a bit more overall depth here, at least at present.Burghound | 92 BH

Bright medium red. Strawberry, raspberry, game and a hint of rust on the nose. The silkiest and most opulent yet of these 2007s, with complex flavors of red berries, chocolate, animal fur and mineral dust framed by harmonious acidity. Offers lovely sweetness in the middle, but really excites the palate on the classically dry finish.Vinous Media | 93 VMAs it usually does, this brings another dimension of complexity with notably ripe yet elegant, even airy red berry fruit aromas, earth, underbrush, spice hints and a touch of jerky, all of which are picked up by the layered, seductive, rich, and full-bodied flavors that are blessed with ample dry extract on the palate staining, velvety and impressively long finish.Burghound | 93 BHLightly-cooked cherry and red currant, mingle on the nose of Claude Dugat’s 2007 Charmes Chambertin, then re-emerge on an infectiously juicy, silken, subtly sweet palate. When tasted immediately after his 2008s, this offers both striking and welcome contrast due to its generosity of fruit, textural polish, and spiciness. Faint hints of game add complexity and a slightly drying hint of tannin diminishes the otherwise impressively persistent finish slightly. Still, this ought to perform impressively for at least the next 5-7 years, and quite possibly beyond that, though I would want to monitor it in a few years’ time to properly assess that possibility.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The light rust and amber color is enticing. Aromas of dried rose petals, cinnamon and nutmeg. Hints of dried meat, smoke and sage. Full body and compact, creamy texture. So fine and delicious. Great, subtle and complex flavors. More like a lightly aged, premier cru Volnay, but with the magic of Champagne. Drink now.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe Comtes de Champagne Rosé is composed of 30% Chardonnay (Grands Crus from Côtes de Blancs), 70% Pinot Noir (Grands Crus from Montagne de Reims, including 15% Pinot Noir from Bouzy, vinified as red wine). It has strawberry, mint, rose petal and cherry notes on the exuberant nose. The palate is racy and creamy, very compact and fresh, with a delicate salty note on the finish.Decanter | 97 DECThis bottle of Taittinger’s just-released 2007 Brut Comtes de Champagne Rosé was disgorged in December 2018, and it’s showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet of blood orange, minty raspberries, red plums, dried flowers and warm brioche. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, chalky and tensile, sharing a racy, chiseled profile with its Blanc de Blancs cousin. Deep, concentrated and tightly wound, the wine concludes with a long, sapid finish. This is an intense, racy Comtes Rosé with a long future ahead of it. As has been the norm chez Taittinger for several years now, the blend is based upon 70% Pinot Noir and includes 15% still red wine from Bouzy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis harmonious rosé Champagne offers quiet grace, with a pleasing juiciness to the sleek acidity, framing finely knit flavors of raspberry, peach, brioche and candied pink grapefruit zest. Showing a raw silk–like texture, this caresses the palate through to the fresh, ginger-laced finish. Drink now through 2027. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 550 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Good full red. Flamboyant, soil-inflected nose offers raspberry, minerals and iodine, with exotic suggestions of white flowers and apricot. Then lush, silky and utterly seamless, combining an exotic perfume with great inner-mouth energy. The wonderfully subtle, kaleidoscopic finish throws off scents of raspberry, minerals, flowers and minerals and goes on and on.Vinous Media | 95 VMStill very young, this is showing the proper staying power of a powerful wine. The structure is complex and dense, the plum and cranberry fruits are wrapped in tannins and hints of wood. The wine powers through the palate, promising long-term aging. A great success for the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WERose petal, fennel, licorice, raspberry and dark cherry, and decadent gaminess in the nose of Bouchard’s 2007 Chambertin Clos de Beze lead into a correspondingly complex palate that combines a silken texture with bright, penetrating fruit of a sort rare in 2007. Persistently alluring rose and peony perfume lends persistent allure as this finishes with delightful and profound interaction of fruit, mineral, floral, and animal elements. It should be worth following for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPAs it usually does, this offers another level of aromatic complexity with a highly spiced nose trimmed in a subtle touch of wood that does not interfere with the overall transparency of either the nose or the palate as this is pure, classy and refined. Moreover, the tannins are also more refined, which is unusual, and this completely stains the palate on the hugely long finish. A balanced, stylish and beguiling Bèze that is built to age, and improve, for up to two decades.Burghound | 93-95 BH

Surpassing the 2007, Anne Gros’s 2008 Richebourg Grand Cru is showing very well, unfurling in the glass with scents of cassis, cherries, dried flowers, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and nicely concentrated, with melting tannins, racy acids that are elegantly cloaked in succulent fruit and a long, penetrating finish. It makes for dramatic, head-turning drinking today, so there seems little reason to wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Richebourg- Domaine A-F. Gros) The 2008 Richebourg from A-F. Gros is fairly oaky, but with its wood much better integrated into the main body of the wine on both the nose and palate and posing no threat to the ultimate balance of the wine. The classy nose jumps from the glass in a blend of plums, black cherries, cocoa powder, orange zest, woodsmoke and spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely transparent, with a fine core of fruit, ripe tannins and fine length and grip on the youthful finish. There is plenty of wood in this wine, but it is seamlessly integrated already and does not detract at all from the overall pleasure that the wine delivers. A very good example. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 92+ JG(Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Very generous wood fights somewhat at present with the cool, spicy and highly complex nose of red currant, plum and violet aromas that is very much in keeping with the equally spicy rich, full-bodied and tautly muscled flavors that display ample minerality on the balanced, long and linear finish. This is a very serious effort with fine but dense tannins that will require 15 to 20 years for them to fully resolve so this isn’t a precocious Riche. (Drink starting 2023)Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2008 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is a silky, elegant wine. Freshly cut roses, dark red fruit and minerals sit on a core of utterly refined tannins. This shows stunning balance in a weightless style that gains energy on the clean, focused finish. This is a fabulous effort from Ponsot. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.This set of 2009s from Laurent Ponsot was among the finest I tasted. The wines are simply dazzling from top to bottom. Ponsot was among the last to harvest in 2009, essentially starting when most, if not all, of his colleagues already had the fruit in their cellars. The fruit was 100% destemmed and the wines were vinified in oak vats. The wines were then racked into barrel for the malos, where many of them stayed with no further rackings. There is no new oak at Ponsot. The barrels range from 5 to 50 years of age. The range now includes a head spinning eleven Grand Crus, which now total an astonishing 70% of the estate’s total production. Ordinarily I would suggest cellaring the top 2009s for a minimum of 15 years or so, but now that Ponsot is bottling all of his wines with synthetic plastic corks made in Italy it is hard to know exactly how the wines will develop. I tasted all of the 2009s from barrel, where they had been aging since finishing their malolactic fermentations.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2008 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is a silky, elegant wine. Freshly cut roses, dark red fruit and minerals sit on a core of utterly refined tannins. This shows stunning balance in a weightless style that gains energy on the clean, focused finish. This is a fabulous effort from Ponsot.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2008 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes was the most closed wine in the cellar at the time of my visit, and the most profound as well. The bouquet is deep and very sappy in its youthful mélange of red and black cherries, blood orange, coffee, espresso, fantastically complex soil tones and a mustardy topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and bottomless at the core, with ripe tannins, superb acids and stunning length and grip on the again, nearly endless finish. A great vintage for this consistently outstanding wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 96 JG

The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 100 JSTaittinger’s 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is being released this year, and it will be worth a special effort to track down. I wrote in August 2019 that this is the finest Comtes de Champagne since the brilliant 2002, and this tasting confirmed that. Offering up a deep and complex bouquet of citrus oil, crisp orchard fruit, warm brioche, crushed chalk, blanched almonds and smoke, it’s full-bodied and incisive, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. While this is already immensely impressive out of the gates, this 2008 is clearly built for the long haul, and three decades’ longevity won’t be a challenge.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPTaittinger’s 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply breathtaking. I have tasted it many times over the years in various trial disgorgements and it has never been anything less than compelling. The final, finished wine captures all of that potential. Bright, focused and wonderfully deep, Comtes is a fabulous example of a vintage that expresses so much energy but with real fruit intensity, the signatures that distinguish it from other vintages (1996 comes to mind) that were similarly taut, but more austere in the early going. Although the 2008 impresses right out of the gate, it only really starts to open up with several hours of air. The 2008 Comtes represents the purest essence of the Côtes des Blancs in a great, historic vintage. Readers who can find the 2008 should not hesitate, as it is a truly brilliant epic Champagne that no one who loves the very best in Champagne will want to be without.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AG(Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime (Reims)) The 2008 Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Blanc de Blancs is a beautiful young wine, with stunning precision on both the nose and palate, a serious girdle of acidity and stellar depth and mineral drive on the palate. This is not anywhere near as accessible and charming out of the blocks as the 2006 was at a similar point in its development, but there is even superior potential here for those with the patience to allow it to truly blossom with some further cellaring. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a vibrant blend of apple, pear, lemon zest, warm bread, chalky minerality, white lilies and just a whisper of buttery oak buried down deep. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a fine structure and grip, refined mousse, beautiful backend mineral drive and a long, complex and still quite youthful finish. This is a gorgeous wine in the making, but it is realistically still probably a good decade away from blossoming completely and drinking with a semblance of full maturity. (Drink between 2028-2080).John Gilman | 97 JGThe balance between ripeness and acidity that is the hallmark of this fine vintage is expressed well in this impressive wine. Tangy, with a strong streak of minerality, it is crisp and rich at the same time. For its fruitiness, it is ready to drink; for more maturity, it will need to age until 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

This is notably fresher than the Chapelle with a strikingly elegant and highly complex nose that displays perfumed and notably ripe red currant and cassis aromas that are liberally laced with warm earth and spice hints. There is good intensity and detail to the opulently textured medium weight plus flavors that are blessed with a seemingly endless reserve of sap on the gorgeously long finish. This is a really impressive effort and if the palate complexity can eventually match that of the nose, this should be able to achieve, or perhaps even exceed, the upper end of my predicted range.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2009 Griottes is a dead ringer for the 1985 at the same stage of development, as the wine soars from the glass in a very ripe and very pure mélange of red and black cherries, cocoa, a great base of soil, grilled meats and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very opulent on the attack, with a great core of fruit, lovely, tangy acids and superb backend grip and focus on the complex and ripely tannic finish. This is voluptuous and almost syrupy in its sappiness, much like the 1985 was in its infancy. Superb wine. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2009 Griotte-Chambertin is another big, super-ripe wine loaded with dark fruit. This is almost port-like in its intensity, with endless layers of blueberries, blackberries, spices and white flowers that build towards the substantial, textured finish. The Griotte is a totally seductive wine endowed with fabulous harmony and tons of personality. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-94 RPThe 2009 Griotte-Chambertin is another big, super-ripe wine loaded with dark fruit. This is almost port-like in its intensity, with endless layers of blueberries, blackberries, spices and white flowers that build towards the substantial, textured finish. The Griotte is a totally seductive wine endowed with fabulous harmony and tons of personality.Vinous Media | 91-94 VM

This impressively complete wine offers up very ripe aromas of spice, earth and game that introduce strikingly rich, naturally sweet and mouth coating big-bodied flavors that explode on the formidably long finish. This is a classy wine with absolutely superb complexity, impeccable balance and almost uncanny presence, all delivered with grace and power. Be prepared to be patient however as this will need plenty of time. A ’wow’ wine that possess excellent verve, especially within the context of the ’09 vintage.Burghound | 96 BHThe opulent 2009 Clos de la Roche seems a bit more black fruity in its personality than the equally flamboyant, but much more red fruity 1985 version, at least at this early stage in its evolution. The nose is deep, pure and sappy, as it offers up scents of black cherries, plums, roasted venison, fresh herb tones, coffee and a very complex signature of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with a huge core of sappy fruit, excellent focus and balance, suave, but substantial tannins and brilliant length and grip on the opulent and palate-staining finish. (Drink between 2020 - 2070)John Gilman | 96+ JGThe 2009 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is round, sweet and totally enveloping. It is a huge, towering Burgundy that impresses for its gorgeous inner perfume and juicy, exuberant fruit. This shows tons of richness without being heavy or overripe in any way. Anticipated maturity: 2029-2049.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-97 RPThe 2009 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is round, sweet and totally enveloping. It is a huge, towering wine that impresses for its gorgeous inner perfume and juicy, exuberant fruit. This shows tons of richness without being heavy or overripe in any way.Vinous Media | 94-97 VM

This also sports discreet wood influence on the intensely floral and kaleidoscopically spicy nose of blue berry and black cherry aromas that introduce rich, intense and naturally sweet middle weight flavors that are lacy, pure and almost delicate before culminating in a suave, explosive and magnificently long finish. This is just terrific and the balance is impeccable. Note however that like the 2010 version, the ultra-fine tannins are also quite dense and this will also require 15 years or so of cellar time before it will be ready for prime time.Burghound | 95 BHThe 2009 Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-St.-Vivant is the wine in the cellar that best carries its ripeness and still manages to deliver a fairly transparent rendition of its underlying terroir. The nose is deep, pure and beautifully complex, as it wafts from the glass in a fine mélange of red and black raspberries, cherries, a touch of raw cocoa, a lovely base of soil and a deft framing of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and seamless, with plenty of ripe fruit at the core seamlessly woven into the tapestry of soil and spice tones here, with fine-grained tannins adding lovely grip on the long and classy finish. This is a very well-made bottle of 2009, but I have a strong preference for the style of the gloriously transparent 2008 RSV chez Hudelot. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2009 Romanee St. Vivant is one of the most texturally beautiful, brilliant wines in the lineup. A solid core of fruit lies at the center of the wine, with gorgeous, expressive aromatics that add complexity and nuance throughout. It shows notable length and a sensual, captivating finish that is all class. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2009 Romanée St. Vivant is one of the most texturally beautiful, brilliant wines in the lineup. A solid core of fruit lies at the center of the wine, with gorgeous, expressive aromatics that add complexity and nuance throughout. This shows notable length and a sensual, captivating finish that is all class.Vinous Media | 93 VM

(bottled in March of 2012; this and the Bonnes-Mares were aged in 35% new oak): Deep, bright red-ruby. Brilliantly pure aromas of black raspberry, cherry and crushed limestone. Sharply chiseled, sappy and weightless in the mouth, with uncanny limestone cut to the flavors of raspberry, flowers and wild herbs. Spreads out insidiously to saturate and perfume the palate. Judging from this wine’s tactile, bracing finish, endless perfume and firm tannic spine, it should gain in nuance for two or three decades in a cool cellar.Vinous Media | 97+ VMA highly spiced and intensely floral nose evidences hints of violet, lilac, wild rose and lavender along with notes of both red and black pinot fruit and a kirsch nuances. The pure and intense yet silky broad-shouldered flavors possess a powerful yet almost delicate mouth feel thanks to the dense but fine tannins shaping the balanced, focused and delineated mineral-driven finish. This remains unapologetically built to age and indeed it will require plenty of it. In a word, impressive.Burghound | 97 BH(Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”- Domaine de Comte de Vogüé) The 2010 Comte de Vogüé Musigny is a beautiful wine in the making, as it soars from the glass in an aristocratic mélange of red and black cherries, blood orange, raw cocoa, stunningly complex minerality, a bit of raspberry, mustard seed, coffee, dried violets and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and youthfully tight, with a sappy core of fruit, outstanding transparency, tangy acids, ripe, well-integrated tannins and outstanding length and grip on the very minerally finish. A beautiful and utterly classic bottle of Comte de Vogüé Musigny in the making. (Drink between 2022-2075).John Gilman | 95-97+ JGThe 2010 Musigny Vieilles Vignes is incredibly long and silky on the palate. Saline notes add urgency and vibrancy to the expressive red fruit in this beautifully woven, textured Musigny. Currently the Musigny appears to be revealing just a fraction of its potential. The sweet floral notes and super-refined red fruit that emerge over time are stunningly beautiful, though, and it is just a matter of time before the wine is fully formed. Today the 2010 is all about textural finesse, and there is no shortage of that in the glass. This is another stunningly beautiful wine from de Vogue. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045.Long-time oenologist Francois Millet was away during my visit to Burgundy, so I can’t relay his always visually evocative thoughts on recent vintages. At the end of the day, though, these wines need no words; they speak for themselves, and then some. Commercial director Jean-Luc Pepin was kind enough to show me all of the 2010s and 2009s (from bottle), including the seldom seen Bourgogne Blanc. I will report on the 2009s in the April issue.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-97 RP

The 2010 Chambertin is a big, rich wine endowed with considerable depth. The aromas and flavors have yet to fully come together, which is not entirely surprising as the malos were very late that year. The wine finds some of its focus with time in the glass. A round, textured finish supported by muscular yet well-integrated tannins is totally inviting. Floral notes add an attractive note of brightness. All of the elements need time to come together. Nevertheless, this is a highly promising wine. Damoy’s Chambertin parcels were planted in 1973 and 1974. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP(Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru Red) The 2010 Chambertin is a big, rich wine endowed with considerable depth. The aromas and flavors have yet to fully come together, which is not entirely surprising as the malos were very late that year. The wine finds some of its focus with time in the glass. A round, textured finish supported by muscular yet well-integrated tannins is totally inviting. Floral notes add an attractive note of brightness. All of the elements need time to come together. Nevertheless, this is a highly promising wine. Damoy’s Chambertin parcels were planted in 1973 and 1974. (Drink between 2020-2030)Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2010 Clos de La Roche from Dujac is an infant, but it is also fabulous. All of the signatures are there; soaring aromatics, finely sculpted fruit and vibrant, pulsating tannins. What a privilege it is to drink the 2010 over several hours at dinner. An intensely perfumed, multi-dimensional Burgundy, the 2010 captures all of the potential I have seen in previous tastings. Ideally, the 2010 should be cellared for at least a handful of years, as it is built for a long life that will go out for several decades. Readers who own the 2010 should be thrilled.Vinous Media | 96 VM An intensely floral nose features notes of rose petals and lavender along with cool red berry fruit liberally laced with wet stone nuances. The taut and muscular broad-scaled and concentrated flavors are precise, intense and explosively long on the focused and stunningly persistent finish that is youthfully austere and breathtakingly intense. This faultlessly well-balanced but very firm effort will require extended cellaring and 15 to 20 years is probably what the structure will require to completely resolve.Burghound | 96 BHThe 2010 Clos de la Roche is a tad more reserved than any of the previous grand crus served in the range in the Dujac cellars, but every bit as transparent, sappy and seamless. The great nose offers up a classy mélange of red and black cherries, plums, cocoa, incipient notes of venison, lovely soil nuances, woodsmoke and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and nascently complex, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe tannins, brilliant transparency and stunning grip on the very, very long and youthful finish. A great wine in the making. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2010 Clos de la Roche wafts from the glass with sweet scents of tobacco, crushed flowers and spices. Tasted after the Charmes, the Clos de la Roche comes across as decidedly feminine, but there is plenty of weightless energy being held back, at least that is the sense I get today. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP

(Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru Red) A notably floral character adds breadth to the highly spiced and exceptionally fresh nose of cool red currant and plum. The rich, refined and admirably pure middle weight flavors are supported and shaped by ultra-fine tannins that coat the mouth on the incredibly long finish. Despite the underlying tension, this is essentially a wine of finesse and harmony that should also age for a very long time if desired. Brilliant and remarkably complex. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 96 BHGood full red. Vibrant perfume of raspberry, spices and minerals. Boasts outstanding dark berry intensity, with powerful crushed-stone minerality and a saline quality giving great energy and tension to the middle palate. Finishes with remarkable rising length, utterly suave tannins and superb lift. Like the Suchots, this is already wonderfully aromatic but is built for a decade or two of improvement in bottle.Vinous Media | 95+ VM(Romanée-St.-Vivant- Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux) The 2010 Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, not surprisingly, ash the best depth of fruit to stand up to the wood tannins here, and this wine is not bad at all. The nose is a complex and classy blend of cherries, orange peel, coffee, Vosne spices, lovely soil tones and plenty of smoky, luxe-styled new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a good core of fruit, fine focus and very good length and grip on the chewy and only modestly over-oaked finish. This will have no trouble eventually absorbing its wood tannin, as it is only showing a touch of backend dryness at this time, and it will be a pretty good bottle at its apogee. But, should one expect more from an expensive example of Romanée-St.-Vivant in a great year? This will certainly not offer up even a modicum of value. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 91+ JG

(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) In stark contrast to the expressiveness of the Clos St. Denis, this is almost mute and even aggressive swirling liberates only the briefest glimpses of wild red berries and earth notes. There is superb size and weight to the imposing and overtly muscular flavors that also enjoy an incredible amount of dry extract that confers a supple and seductively textured mouth feel to the highly concentrated mid-palate. The presently buried tannins are intense and markedly firm though not hard on the explosively long finish that seems to go on and on. This should be something very special if given sufficient time to reach its apogee. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 95-97 BH

(Romanée-St.-Vivant- Domaine Dujac) There is always very little Romanée-St.-Vivant in the Dujac cellars, and with the very short yields in 2010, this chronic shortage will be exacerbated. I cannot recall precisely how few barrels there were of the RSV this year, but there is not much of this magical elixir. The profoundly complex nose offers up scents of cherries, raspberries, coffee, exotic spice tones, a brilliant base of soil, a touch of pain epice, woodsmoke, gamebird and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and elegant, with kaleidoscopic minerality, refined tannins, tangy acids and stunning length and grip on the beautiful finish. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 97+ JG(Domaine Dujac Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru Red) Like several of these 2010s, this is aromatically reserved to the point that only aggressive swirling liberates reluctant notes of spice, violets and a mix of perfumed red and black liqueur scents. The delicious, intense and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors possess a highly sophisticated mouth feel before terminating in a massively persistent, pure and harmonious finish. This seriously classy and exceptionally stylish effort is the epitome of power without weight, indeed it is textbook RSV. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 96 BHGood bright, full red. Aromas of crushed red berries, eucalyptus and blood orange, given even more punch by a suggestion of citrus peel. Pungent and penetrating in the mouth, with the crushed-grape character giving this very pure, focused wine an extremely primary quality today. With its rather powerful tannic spine, this is an infant. I would not be surprised if it needed 15 years to approach its plane of peak maturity.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThe 2010 Romanee Saint Vivant comes across as quite delicate, floral and feminine. Sweet red cherries, crushed flowers and mint wrap around the finish in this weightless, airy RSV. I have seen this wine grow significantly once it is in bottle, and expect that will be the case here as well. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Dujac fans will be thrilled with these 2010s. They are off the charts. The most difficult thing will no doubt be finding them. Jeremy Seysses reported yields down by 30-50% across the board, although his Morey blanc was down a whopping 90%. The poor flowering and wet summer resulted in loose bunches with a high amount of shot berries. The wines came in at 12 to 12.5% potential alcohol and were lightly chaptalized. Seysses used 80-90% stems for most of the wines, a little less for some, such as the Charmes and Combettes (around 70%) and more for the Chambertin and RSV (both 100%). Unfortunately, the 2010 Morey 1er Cru was too reduced to evaluate, so I will have to wait for another opportunity to taste the wine. I also tasted the entire range of 2009s. I will report on those wines in the April issue.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP