An estate-bottled Julienas Chateau de Julienas that has entered the Duboeuf portfolio from 2010 after having, at least through 2008, been marketed by Jadot, was surprisingly torn-up by astringency (perhaps a post-bottling phase?), but the also domaine-bottled Duboeuf 2010 Julienas Chateau des Capitains is impressive in its pungently herbal and peppery if slightly rustic way. Red and black raspberry mingled with rhubarb make for bright, sappy, persistent fruit intensity. I’m not convinced, though, that the astringent elements here portend a wine of enhanced bottle potential. George Duboeuf and his estate-collaborators – for further general comments on whom consult my issue 190 report – harvested from mid-September into the first week of October and pronounced themselves reasonably satisfied with the size of their crop as well as its quality. Most of the fruit came in at between 12-12.5% alcohol, with only a small share being chaptalized. And while the manner of extraction typically practiced chez Duboeuf strikes me as serving for rather uniformly deep colors, Duboeuf remarked that the 2010s colored with particular, and surprising, ease. The percentage of wines bottled at the time of my June visit was, predictably, considerably higher than had been the case for the 2009s at the same point on the calendar. Observing conventions established in the aforementioned previous report, I have made reference to aging potential only for any wines that I expect might be worth following for longer than a couple of years, and where I have identified a wine solely by appellation, it represents a so-called “Selections Georges Duboeuf” cuvee, adorned with his company’s signature flower labels. I also tasted on this occasion several late-released, wooded “prestige” bottlings – rendered in 1,000-2,500 volumes – which however were not destined to appear in U.S. markets.Importer: William Deutsch & Son Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463

Warm and ripe wine, very open with its red fruit acidity well integrated. There are tannins and a more dry character of course—this is a 2010 wine, but the main effect is of weight and some power. ——R.V.(10/1/2011)—— 89