The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Les Charmois is gorgeous. High-toned floral notes open up beautifully in the glass, followed by expressive red berries, licorice and spices. The 2010 possesses striking inner perfume, layers of supple fruit and the silkiest of tannins. It is an awesome start to this survey of the domaine’s 2010s. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.
I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue.
Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600