Piron’s 2010 Brouilly Domaine de Combiaty delivers ripe, fresh blueberry and blackberry tinged with pungent green herbs and raw hazelnut, leading to an invigorating and refreshing if somewhat lean palate impression and finish. As usual, this cuvee received only around half the vatting of a Piron Morgon, which was in any event reduced for the 2010 vintage. I would be inclined to drink this next year. Most of their Brouilly, note the Pirons, is bought by the French as bistro wine. Dominique and Kristine Piron (for more about whose holdings, methods, and diverse domaines consult my reports in issues 184 and 190) began picking their 2010s on September 22 – exactly two weeks later than in 2009 – and did not finish until October 4. Even then, the effects of a late start to the growing season and relatively cool weather seemed particularly evident in a collection that could benefit from a bit more generous fruit and charm, which hopefully some of the wines I tasted were simply at an inopportune stage in June for displaying. The fruit was half or more destemmed to compensate for potential under-ripeness as well as sheer abundance of wood, and extraction was rendered even more gentle than usual. Since this estate generally releases its wines relatively late, 2011 is really the calendar year for investing in their outstanding 2009s, about which I wrote in issue 190. (That said, Kristine Piron laughingly relates the incredulity of some potential customers – not including their U.S. importers – in the face of the estate’s typical release policy, and her occasional reluctant acquiescence to their insistent appeals to be sold wines of the latest vintage.)Importers include Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA, tel. (510) 559 1040 and Potomac Selections, Inc., Landover MD; tel. (301) 583- 8844