After a mild and rainy autumn of 2009, precipitation in November was exceptionally high (216 mm). Then the trend reversed because the first months of 2010 were particularly cold and dry. These rather moderate temperatures, showing a difference of less than 2.1°C compared to normal temperatures for the season, caused a delay in budding. However, this was quickly reduced with almost summer tempe...
The sum of summer temperatures in 2010 was close to that of summer 2009 (962°C compared to 982°C), but significantly colder than those of 2005, which totaled 1052°C. These cool temperatures had a substantial influence on the balance of our wines, preserving a good level of acidity and an attractive aromatic freshness.
Very little precipitation (only 267 mm) from March to August 2010 generating a drought of similar intensity to that of 2005, when only 227 mm of rain fell.
Another characteristic of the 2010 vintage is the low temperatures especially during the first three weeks of August, which allowed good acidity levels to be preserved in the grapes while maintaining an attractive aromatic freshness.
Compared with 2009, these figures represent a deficit of 25 percent in red and 16 percent in white.
It was a cold, drawn-out winter, some two degrees cooler than the average, though rainfall and sunshine were normal. There was one severe attack of frost on December 22nd, just before Christmas, which caused widespread damage on the upside of the main road from Beaune to Dijon. In many places the road is on higher ground, and the land dips before climbing up towards the premiers crus, thus causing a frost pocket. It is here, just as in 1985, that the damage has been done. Some vines have been killed outright; others managed a late push of vegetation which was either unproductive or far to late to be useful. This, and further depredations later in the season, have led to a crop some 25 percent less than the average (which is some 250,000 hectolitres, excluding generics, for the Côte d'Or).
Apart from a brief interlude in April the cold climatic pattern persisted right through until June 22nd. The vines flowered late and irregularly. Coulure and millerandage were widespread. There were isolated attacks of mildew. Conditions were the opposite of promising. The harvest would be late and maturity would be uneven unless there were to be a dramatic improvement in the weather.
Happily Burgundy then enjoyed a fine, even hot, period of several weeks until July 21st. The downside was that there were, inevitably, the usual storms, and in places, hail damage. On July 10th parts of northern Beaujolais and the southern Mâconnais were affected: Moulin à Vent, Saint-Amour, Leynes, Chaintré, Pouilly-Vinzelles, and the village of Fuissé. There was hail in some of the left bank vineyards in Chablis, especially in Vaillons. But the Côte d'Or and the Chalonnais seem to have been spared.
The weather in August was uneven; nice and warm, but with no lack of rain. We had oidium, here and there, and black rot elsewhere, in vineyards not properly looked after, especially in southern Burgundy and parts of Meursault. Together with the hail this has resulted in uneven quality in the Mâconnais, while further north the vintage is much more consistent.
Once into September the weather changed again. The wind changed to the north. It began to be much cooler during the night. Most days were dry and warm (though not hot – 25° maximum) but above all very sunny. It is sun, rather than heat, which ripens the fruit. Photosynthesis was able to continue right to the end, as the vegetation remained green. Acidities did not plunge; while the grapes continued to pile on sugar. Except where there had been prior hail or cryptogamic damage the fruit remained very healthy.
Apart from a few gloomy days around Tuesday September 7th, and a brief tempest in the evening of the 12th, which occasioned hail damage in Santenay and the southern end of Chassagne-Montrachet, the fine weather continued until Friday September 24th, by which time everyone was into their harvest. Picking began across Burgundy at more or less the same time: the 16th in the Beaujolais, the 18th in the Mâconnais, the 20th in the Côte Chalonnaise, the Côte d'Or and Chablis, though some waited until the 23rd. Following a pause on the 24th the good conditions continued with but brief stoppages for what turned out to be showers rather than more prolonged periods of rain. Most growers had finished by the week-end of October 1st.
All reports underline the same conclusion about the 2010 harvest. It has turned out a great deal better than one could possibly have imagined at the end of June. If only it had been drier in August! Not that August was wetter than the average, indeed in southern Burgundy precipitation was the same as in 2009.
The Beaujolais are not as abundantly seductive as in 2009, but they are perhaps more classic. The fruit is fresh and delicious. The crop is small and quality is less even than in it was in the previous vintage. The wines are in their prime now.
Quality in part of the Mâconnais has been compromised by the July 10th hail. It is here that the 2010 vintage is at its most heterogenous. But nevertheless, where the fruit has been correctly sorted, we have a combination of good fruit, correct levels of alcohol, nice supporting acidity and no lack of character. The best are delicious now.
Growers in the Côte Chalonnaise are very happy, especially with their red wines. 'That makes three highly successful vintages in a row.' said one, adding that the crop was saved by the anti-rot treatments he had had to apply. Again the whites are fully ready and drinking very well.
As elsewhere a small crop in Chablis, as much through a lack of juice in the grapes as to the size of the crop. Good alcoholic dregees – indeed more in the premiers crus than in the grands crus – healthy fruit and nice austere acIdities.
Which brings us to the Côte d'Or. Once again not a lot of juice, owing to widespread millerandage, but more concentration as a result. The red wines showed very good fruit and the grapes were in a very good state of health. Alcohol and acidity levels are more than satisfactory, as are the initial colours. So if the red wines were not as glorious at the outset as in 2009, they were certainly very good, above the current average. And as they developed they seemed to get better and better. The character is more classic than in 2009 and the wines will probably last longer. This was not a vintage to go heavy on the extraction, particularly in communes such as Volnay and Chambolle. That aside, these red wines are consistent; in the Côte de Beaune said to be at their best in Pommard; while the quality in the Côte de Nuits was noted as 'très joli'. Indeed the more you travel north, as is so often the case, the better the wine. The Côte de Nuits benefited not only from a slightly later harvest, but from lower precipitation in August. It is here that the 2010 vintage is at its finest. It is a vintage which shows the petits fruits rouges flavours of a medium weight, ripe, but not that concentrated a vintage. The wines are more marked by their terroir than in 2009, according to Aubert de Villaine.
It was more difficult in the early days to pronounce on the whites than on the reds. One wine-maker spoke about 'explosive' aromas, on the side of the exotic, and colours which were less deep than he feared. There are good acidities, but the vintage will be less classic than the 2008s in his opinion. I'm not sure that I agree. Now that the wines are in bottle one can see in the very best wines a striking success: the grip of the 2008s and the richness of the 2009s. That said, it must be pointed out that the storm of September 12th 'turned' much of the Chardonnay fruit. If one did not pick immediatedly, one's wine was comprimised. The result is a heterogenity between the village and minor premiers crus on the one hand and the wines from the better-sited vineyards, not to mention the grands crus, on the other. This is clearly apparent in the wines of Chassagne-Montrachet: wines of only average quality, and many showing too much botrytis, in Morgeots and the vineyards on the north side of the village, such as Chenevottes, Macharelles and Vergers, but fine wines from the slope which runs from Caillerets down to Embazées. Of the three main villages, Puligny and Meursault are better than Chassagne. Proportionately the higher one goes up the hierarchy, the better the wine. At the very top levels there are many white wines which, as they should, promise to be still improving after the age of five, rather than, as seems to be more and more the norm, depressingly, by that time beginning to lighten up. Overall – and there are a few wines which already hint at premature oxidation - this is clearly a better white wine vintage than 2009. And firmer than 2008.
Prices rose, but not by much. Growers were already aware of the deficit in quantity when they announced their 2009 prices, so a gentle shading upwards (I speak in Euros), was the order of the day, except that the elastic between the village wines and the less fashionable premiers crus on the one hand, and the grands crus and top village premiers crus on the other, continues to widen. You will pay increasingly higher prices for Richebourg, Puligny-Montrachet, Les Folatières and Vosne-Romanée, Les Beaumonts, while Savigny-Lès-Beaune, premier cru and Paul Jacqueson's Rully, La Pucelles remain a bargain.
by Clive Coates
In some years winegrowers must feel like baseball players in the batting cage swinging at whatever Mother Nature throws their way, and for vintage 2010 in California's renowned Napa Valley this was the case. Rainfall returned after three dry years, pushed bud break, flowering and fruit-set back by at least two weeks at the front end of the growing season, and due to the cloud cover, there was no frost damage in 2010. The summer brought cooler than normal temperatures, where constant vigilance and rigorous canopy management averted mildew or pest problems.
The ten-day to two-week lag continued into a later than average veraison. Winegrowers were faced with a two-day heat spike into triple digits for the first time in the season, coinciding with the first day of harvest on August 24. With canopies thinned to adjust for the cooler season, grapes at various sites experienced some sunburn. The damage was variable site-to-site with many vineyards reporting no sunburned clusters at all.
The relatively cool growing season coupled with the unexpected heat spikes in late summer resulted in a late and shortened harvest with lower yields. Vintners were excited about what they were tasting from the vineyards--concentrated flavors that will materialize into elegant, structured wines, almost European in style.
Cooler than average temperatures retuned again in early September, but gave way to a welcome, warm and consistent Indian Summer that was just the ticket, bringing good flavor and color development across the board.
In the midst of the 2010 growing season, and led by the hard work of Napa County Agriculture Commissioner Dave Whitmer, the potentially crop devastating pest known as the European Grapevine Moth or Lobesia looks to be successfully eradicated in Napa County. Industry winegrowers led by the Napa Valley Vintners, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa County Farm Bureau along with residential grapes growers, community leaders and environmental groups joined forces in a highly organized and well-orchestrated effort that employed organic compounds, fruit disposal and mating disruption. This effort hit it out of the park and speaks volumes about the collaborative efforts, innovation and leadership of the Napa Valley wine industry.
Italy Outstanding – A vintage with first-rate wines from seemingly everywhere in the Barolo and Barbaresco zones, both from famous producers and many unheralded ones. Beautiful balance, expressive aromatics, excellent varietal character and outstanding persistence. Power, grace and structure, from moderately priced wines all the way to the most expensive cru offerings. The 2010s will age for 20-30 years without a problem in most cases, and a few wines will age even longer.
After three very dry years in Douro, the winter of 2009-2010 saw an extraordinary change, with heavy rains of 100 mm or more recorded at Pinhão for each of six months in a row. The viticultural year progressed well until July and August when we had not one drop of rain. Temperatures in excess of 35ºC throughout most of August slowed the maturation cycle, as the vines cannot photosynthesise and mature the grapes properly in conditions of continued extreme heat. As a result the harvest began 5 days later than usual, but was conducted under mostly perfect conditions with a few welcome light showers in early September and only one overnight rainfall in early October.
RIOJA 2010 – Excellent Vintage
The Rioja Control Board has officially rated the 2010 vintage ‘Excellent’. This is the result of a strict rating process involving testing and tasting more than four thousand samples of the 284.29 million litres of wine made in this vintage. This result confirms the high expectations prompted by the high quality of the grapes picked during harvest and subsequent winemaking process, pointing to the possibility of 2010 becoming one of Rioja’s historic vintages. The key lies in very favourable weather —which allowed for an excellent state of health of the vines until the end of the growth cycle and very moderate production figures— plus all the dedication and professionalism of growers and winemakers. In the last decade only three vintages earned the ‘Excellent’ rating —2001, 2004 and 2005— while the last four have been rated ‘Very Good’.
The rigorous approval process —which sets Rioja apart from other DOs in Spain, as befits its special condition of ‘Calificada’— provides detailed information on the quality of all wines made from every vintage. Each tank of wine in each bodega is sampled, providing highly reliable figures for the final vintage rating issued by the Rioja Control Board. This final rating is obtained through statistical calculations to ensure complete objectivity. The Control Board has been tightening the requirements of global vintage ratings in recent years, with the aim of maintaining Rioja’s position as a benchmark on the quality wine market.
The 2010 Vintage approval and rating process began in November. Samples were taken in all winemaking bodegas by Control Board overseers. Samples must be taken from batches of no more than 100,000 litres. The samples were then analysed at the laboratories of one of the DO’s three Oenological Research Stations and assessed by a tasting committee consisting of three professional wine tasters. These belong to the Control Board’s external tasting panel consisting of over one hundred experts. The procedures used for sensorial assessment are strictly regulated and the anonymity and confidentiality of all samples tasted are strictly maintained.
A total of 4,008 samples were submitted before the 31 March deadline. Each sample had to pass rigorous analytical and sensorial tests before earning the right to be protected by the Designation. A total of 255.08 million litres (14.49 white, 13.56 rosé and 227.03 red) —plus an additional 5.92 million litres that constitute the qualitative stocks— were approved, while 44 samples (1.56 million litres) were rejected because of analytical or sensorial shortcomings. This is a small percentage in view of the strictness with which rating criteria are applied and clearly an indication of the quality of this vintage. The remaining part of the 277.91 million litres submitted for approval was rejected because of excessive production yields.
Development of the 2010 growing season
According to the report of the Control Board Technical Service, the general development of the vineyards in 2010 was very good across the Wine Region. The growing season proceeded without any significant incidents —including pests and diseases— that might affect production either quantitatively or qualitatively. Excellent canopy development and plant health until the end of the growing cycle ensured normal development compared to the previous year, when the growing season was about ten days ahead of the average.
During the dormant period rainfall across the Wine Region provided sufficient water for the growing season, ranging from 194 litres in Aldeanueva de Ebro to 400 litres in Leza de Álava. Budburst began normally in late March, with 100% buds by early June and normal fertility rates and cluster figures in all varieties —albeit somewhat higher than the previous year for Tempranillo and Viura and lower for Garnacha. Canopy development and plant health was generally good at this time.
Flowering and fruit set were slightly delayed taking place during the month of June. Setting was good, with a predominance of medium-large clusters. The Garnacha vines experienced irregular fruit set and vineyards at higher altitudes also set irregularly across the board. In the last days of July, in the Wine Region’s earliest developing areas, veraison had reached 40% of Tempranillo vines and 10% of Garnacha plants, while it had not started in other grape varieties.
The weather continued to be dry throughout the month of August, with irregular temperatures, alternating cool days with very hot days. For Tempranillo, veraison did not conclude until mid-month in the earliest areas and until the end of the month in the latest-ripening areas. At the end of August, the vineyards showed good overall canopy development and plant health, coping well with the lack of rainfall, although those vineyards located in arid and stony areas began to experience some basal defoliation.
Harvest began on 1 September in the town of Aldeanueva de Ebro with the white grape varieties, that came in good health and an alcohol potential between 13% and 14%. In the first fifteen days of September, few vineyards were picked, and it was not until the end of the month that harvest became widespread in Rioja Baja, gradually starting up in the rest of the Wine Region. Good weather at the beginning of October allowed for higher picking rates, leading to a selective harvest, with slower ripening in areas where yields were higher. The testing parameters in vineyards at higher altitudes evolved faster, as there had been less water stress and, since fruit set had been irregular, the clusters were looser.
Moderate rains around 10 October slowed down the harvest in the middle and higher areas of the Wine Region, with a positive effect on those vineyards that had been affected by the long drought. In the following days, stable weather, low night-time temperatures and mild daytime temperatures, allowed pickers to step up their work, as the grapes arrived at the crush pads in very good health. The grape harvest ended on 31 October with a total figure of 395 million kilos of grapes (33M kg of white grapes and 362M kg of red grapes).
South Australia's long drought of the early and mid-2000s broke and the Barossa experienced its best rainfall in five years during the winter and spring of 2009, providing good soil moisture for the growing season. The end of spring was quite mild with a few moderately warm days leading to early bud burst. However, a nine-day unseasonal heatwave – peaking at 41.5C in early November – coincided with flowering, causing poor fruit set in Chardonnay and Grenache. Warm, mild weather for the remainder of the growing season accelerated ripening for an early vintage. The arrival of cool nights in mid-March slowed down the final harvest for some later grape varieties and vineyards. Shiraz was traditionally hardy and produced good yields of excellent fruit and the low yielding Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache showed excellent color and flavor development. 2010 will also be remembered for the purest varietal expression of Sémillon for a few years. In the Eden Valley, Riesling, although not very productive, had excellent canopy growth, matured quickly with good flavor and had minimal sunburn. But most notable was the Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, where the flavors were intense and even, with an ideal balance of fruit and canopy.
Whites
We began picking the grapes for our white wines when we began the first passages in the Sauvignon blanc on September 2, 2010. We took advantage of the beautiful September weather by taking our time to harvest the fruit, while waiting for the grapes to be perfectly ripe, harvesting only on cool mornings, cooling the fruits in cold rooms before pressing them slowly and delicately in an inert atmosphere. In other words, we did everything we could to give our best to make a very good white wine. As the picking progressed, the fruits ripened slowly, the sugar content increased moderately and above all, the acidity remained at a very good level, which allowed an excellent balance in the juice throughout the harvest period. harvest.
After blending, a great white Smith Haut Lafitte emerged with a pale yellow color with slight green tints. The initial bouquet is above all a basket of yellow fruits: peach, apricot and fresh mango fill the nose. After swirling, greater complexity and depth develop with further fruity notes of pineapple and candied peach, followed by floral notes of acacia and finally more mineral and empyreumatic nuances. The wine is clean on the palate with an immediate impression of sweetness. Its magnificent balance enchants you with its smoothness, its strength and concentration, and its well-defined flavors. It is very long on the palate and expresses the full aromatic potential of its bouquet as well as a range of fresh aromas of citrus and white flowers supported by acidity, ending with notes of flint and brioche.
Les Beaujolais ne sont pas aussi séduisants qu’en 2009, mais ils sont peut-être plus classiques. Le fruit est frais et délicieux. La récolte est petite et la qualité est moins égale que dans le millésime précédent. Les vins sont à leur apogée maintenant.
La qualité dans une partie du Mâconnais a été compromise par la grêle du 10 juillet. C’est ici que le millésime 2010 est le plus hétérogène. Mais néanmoins, là où le fruit a été correctement trié, nous avons une combinaison de bons fruits, des niveaux d’alcool corrects, une belle acidité de soutien et aucun manque de caractère. Les meilleurs sont délicieux maintenant.
Les vignerons de la Côte Chalonnaise sont très satisfaits, surtout avec leurs vins rouges. « Cela fait trois millésimes très réussis d’affilée », a déclaré l’un d’eux, ajoutant que la récolte avait été sauvée par les traitements anti-pourriture qu’il avait dû appliquer. Encore une fois, les blancs sont complètement prêts et boivent très bien.
Comme ailleurs une petite récolte à Chablis, autant par manque de jus dans les raisins que par la taille de la récolte. De bons dregees alcoolisés – en effet plus dans les premiers crus que dans les grands crus – des fruits sains et de belles activités austères.
Ce qui nous amène à la Côte d’Or. Encore une fois, pas beaucoup de jus, en raison du millerandage généralisé, mais plus de concentration en conséquence. Les vins rouges ont montré de très bons fruits et les raisins étaient en très bon état de santé. Les niveaux d’alcool et d’acidité sont plus que satisfaisants, tout comme les couleurs initiales. Alors si les vins rouges n’étaient pas aussi glorieux au départ qu’en 2009, ils étaient certainement très bons, au-dessus de la moyenne actuelle. Et au fur et à mesure qu’ils se développaient, ils semblaient aller de mieux en mieux. Le caractère est plus classique qu’en 2009 et les vins dureront probablement plus longtemps. Ce n’était pas un millésime pour aller lourdement sur l’extraction, en particulier dans des communes comme Volnay et Chambolle. Cela mis à part, ces vins rouges sont cohérents; dans la Côte de Beaune dit être à leur meilleur à Pommard; tandis que la qualité dans la Côte de Nuits a été notée comme « très joli ». En effet, plus vous voyagez vers le nord, comme c’est si souvent le cas, meilleur est le vin. La Côte de Nuits a bénéficié non seulement d’une récolte un peu plus tardive, mais aussi de précipitations plus faibles en août. C’est ici que le millésime 2010 est à son meilleur. C’est un millésime qui montre les saveurs de petits fruits rouges d’un poids moyen, mûr, mais pas si concentré qu’un millésime. Les vins sont plus marqués par leur terroir qu’en 2009, selon Aubert de Villaine.
Il était plus difficile au début de se prononcer sur les blancs que sur les rouges. Un vigneron a parlé d’arômes « explosifs », du côté exotique, et de couleurs moins profondes qu’il ne le craignait. Il y a de bonnes acidités, mais le millésime sera moins classique que les 2008 selon lui. Je ne suis pas sûr d’être d’accord. Maintenant que les vins sont en bouteille, on peut voir dans les meilleurs vins un succès retentissant : l’emprise des années 2008 et la richesse des années 2009. Cela dit, il faut souligner que la tempête du 12 septembre a « transformé » une grande partie du fruit du Chardonnay. Si l’on ne cueillait pas immédiatement, on comprimait son vin. Il en résulte une hétérogénéité entre le village et les premiers crus mineurs d’une part et les vins des vignobles mieux situés, sans oublier les grands crus, d’autre part. Cela est clairement évident dans les vins de Chassagne-Montrachet: des vins de qualité moyenne, et beaucoup montrant trop de botrytis, dans les Morgeots et les vignobles du côté nord du village, tels que Chenevottes, Macharelles et Vergers, mais des vins fins du coteau qui va de Caillerets jusqu’à Embazées. Des trois villages principaux, Puligny et Meursault sont meilleurs que Chassagne. Proportionnellement, plus on monte dans la hiérarchie, meilleur est le vin. Au plus haut niveau, il y a beaucoup de vins blancs qui, comme ils le devraient, promettent de continuer à s’améliorer après l’âge de cinq ans, plutôt que, comme cela semble être de plus en plus la norme, de manière déprimante, de commencer à s’alléger à ce moment-là. Dans l’ensemble – et il y a quelques vins qui font déjà allusion à une oxydation prématurée – c’est clairement un meilleur millésime de vin blanc que 2009. Et plus ferme qu’en 2008.
Les prix ont augmenté, mais pas beaucoup. Les viticulteurs étaient déjà conscients du déficit quantitatif lorsqu’ils ont annoncé leurs prix 2009, donc une légère nuance vers le haut (je parle en euros), était à l’ordre du jour, sauf que l’élastique entre les vins du village et les premiers crus moins à la mode d’une part, et les grands crus et les premiers crus de village les plus en vogue d’une part, et les grands crus et les premiers crus de village de l’autre, continue de s’élargir. Vous paierez des prix de plus en plus élevés pour Richebourg, Puligny-Montrachet, Les Folatières et Vosne-Romanée, Les Beaumonts, tandis que Savigny-Lès-Beaune, premier cru et Le Rully de Paul Jacqueson, La Pucelles restent une bonne affaire.
Les vins du millésime
Vins blancs
20.0
Le Montrachet, Domaine Marc Colin
Le Montrachet, Domaine des Comtes Lafon
19.0
Chevalier-Montrachet, Domaine Philippe Colin
Chevalier-Montrachet, Les Demoiselles, Domaine Louis Jadot
18.5
Meursault, Perrières, Domaine Jacques Prieur
Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Caillerets, Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Caillerets, Domaine Michel Bouzereau
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Caillerets, Domaine de Montille
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Perrières, Domaine Henri Boillot
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Referts, Domaine Arnaud Ente
Corton-Charlemagne, Domaine Bonneau du Martray
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Domaine Vincent Girardin
Chevalier-Montrachet, La Cabotte, Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils
Le Montrachet, Domaine Jacques Prieur
Vins rouges
20.0
La Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Le Musigny, Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
19.5
Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos Saint-Jacques, Domaine Louis Jadot
La Grande Rue, Domaine Lamarche
La Romanée, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair
Richebourg, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
La Tache, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Chambertin, Clos de Bèze, Domaine Armand Rousseau
Chambertin, Domaine du Clos Frantin (Albert Bichot)
19.0
Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos Saint-Jacques, Domaine Armand Rousseau
Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Domaine Follin-Arbelet
Richebourg, Domaine A.F. Gros
Richebourg, Domaine Thibaut Liger-Belair
Clos de Vougeot, Domaine Anne Gros
Le Musigny, Domaine de la Vougeraie
Clos de la Roche, Domaine Louis Jadot
Clos de la Roche, Domaine Ponsot
Griotte-Chambertin, Domaine Joseph Drouhin
Chambertin, Clos de Bèze, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
Chambertin, Maison Camille Giroud
Chambertin, Domaine Chantal Rémy
Chambertin, Domaine Armand Rousseau
18.5
Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Vaucrains, Domaine Robert Chevillon
Vosne-Romanée, Les Suchots, Domaine Lamarche
Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses, Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses, Domaine Michèle et Patrick Rion
Chambolle-Musigny, Les Charmes, Domaine de la Pousse d'Or
Chambolle-Musigny, Les Fuées, Domaine Ghislaine Barthod
Gevrey-Chambertin, Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Domaine Louis Jadot
Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos Saint Jacques, Domaine Fourrier
Grands-Echézeaux, Domaine Clos du Frantin (Albert Bichot)
Grands-Echézeaux, Domaine Lamarche
Grands-Echézeaux, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Richebourg, Gros Frère et Soeur
Clos de Vougeot, Domaine Sylvain Loichet
Bonnes-Mares, Domaine Georges Roumier
Bonnes-Mares, Domaine de la Vougeraie
Clos de Tart, Domaine Mommessin
Burgundy Vintage Report by Rousseau: The 2010 vintage began the 19th and 20th of the previous December, when the temperatures during the night dropped to -20C°, killing a number of vines in the most fragile parcels.The vintage was also marked by heavy rains. Except for a pause between June 21 and July 11, the summer months were regularly interrupted by storms.
As a result the vines’ growth, which had started very late, moved along incrementally. Starting quickly with higher-than-normal temperatures in late April, then halted by a cold early May, growth was regularly disturbed up until flowering, causing coulure andmillerandage, insurance for high-quality grapes.
Mildew appeared at the end of June and though it progressed throughout the summer, it did not affect the fruit and very little vegetation. The situation was roughly identical for oidium, which developed only slowly in May and it was not until June 21 that the effect was noticeable. Nonetheless, thanks to careful treatment, in the end the result was completely satisfactory.Harvest began September 22 under sunny skies and sorting was very heavy. More rain on the 24 forced us to interrupt picking, followed by a return to clear weather, though with cooler temperatures.
This was a classic vintage for the Domaine, and for Burgundy, marked by small, healthy bunches. While the yields after sorting were quite low, the fruit quality, acidities and ripeness were very much in synch.Depending on the wines, the macerations and fermentations lasted 15-18 days, and were barrelled by gravity after being pressed and clarified. Though malo-lactic fermentations progressed slowly, when they were finished and the wines had been racked, the level of quality was clear. There is great purity of fruit, with plenty of freshness and finesse and though the tannins are very fine, the wines are still well-structured. The yields, between 30 and 35 percent lower than 2009 are the only black spots on an otherwise classic vintage, very Pinot Noir, giving pleasure in the short-term but with great potential for aging. In short, a winemaker’s vintage that will excite those that love fine wines.
White Burgundy Report by Zachys: Burgundy's Greatest White Vintage In A Decade!
The 2010 vintage for White Burgundy is one of the finest we have ever seen. But then you knew that already since we have been shouting it for over a year now.
This past Friday our praise for the 2010 white Burgundy vintage has been supported by the massive reviews that Antonio Galloni and the Wine Advocate have posted. Posted only on erobertparker.com, the Wine Advocate's coverage on the 2010 white Burgundy vintage is extremely comprehensive and holds tremendous praise for the vintage as a whole and plenty of great wines.
So much so that this could easily be the greatest white Burgundy vintage In a decades!
"The 2010 white Burgundies are some of the most riveting young wines I have ever tasted. In the finest examples readers will find superb richness, vibrant acidity and great transparency to site. These are marvelously complete wines that bring together the depth of fruit typically found in ripe years with the classicism, minerality and tension that are the signatures of cooler vintages. That all adds up to viscerally thrilling wines that at their best capture the essence of everything great Burgundy can be..." Antonio Galloni, the Wine Advocate 8/12.
In digesting all the info thus far and still crunching more there are some producers/estates that have just totally nailed it with the 2010 vintage. Those that excelled are some of the biggest names in Burgundy today. One winemaker that excelled in the 2010 White Burgundy vintage was Louis Jadot's legendary Jacques Lardiere, who incidentally is retiring making 2010 his last vintage. And what a vintage to end on! Jadot has turned out some of the finest White Burgundies of 2010 topped off with a near perfect Le Montrachet that Antonio Galloni has given 98 points too!
Other standout producers include two of the fastest rising stars of the region: Pierre Yves Colin of Colin-Moreyand Mounir Saouma of Lucien le Moine. A great surprise, extremely well deserved, are the reviews and praise for the Bernard Moreau wines that are now made by his son Alex. We have been following Alex's progress and had a tremendous tasting with him this past February and are happy to see that Antonio is also seeing the greatness in his wines. Of course, some of the perennial top producers are at the top again in 2010 as well like Domaine Leflaive, Joseph Drouhin, Domaine Leroy/d'Auvenay, Comtes Lafon, Guy Roulot and Coche-Dury.
Out of all the top reviews, here are the top 20 white 2010 Burgundies that we have to offer. Every wine in this offer has received an outstanding to extraordinary review from the Wine Advocate ranging from 94 to 98
points.
As always with Burgundy supplies are limited and thus our stock may only be bottles. You will need to act fast to secure the best of the best today from Burgundy's greatest white vintage in a decade.
2010 by Domaine Moillard:2010 was a vintage full of story twists and surprises! The weather conditions were particularly tricky: a very cold winter with heavy frosts, spring that took a long time coming, swings from hot to wet and back during flowering and thunder storms at the end of summer…
The grape harvest started in the third week of September. Yields were lower because of a combination of yield control through pruning, failure of the fruit to set and mixed-sized berries in the bunches caused by the weather and sorting carried out in the vines and cellar.
The white wines boast great acidity levels, making this a cellaring vintage with really pure fruit. For the red wines, low yields gave fantastic concentration of fruit and silky tannins. There were no let-ups during 2010, meaning that even stricter attention was required all the way through from the vines to the vatroom…
Tastingbook revient sur une année extraordinaire pour le marché des vins fins.
Mère Nature n’a pas été tendre en 2010 – un tremblement de terre en Haïti, des inondations au Pakistan et un volcan imprononçable en Islande. Il y a eu un énorme traumatisme financier; Beaucoup sont encore en convalescence. Mais les produits de base et les objets de collection – en particulier le vin – ont continué malgré tout. Le marché de l’art – ou du moins la réputation de Damien Hirst – vacillait avant l’été mais vous ne l’auriez jamais remarqué car des prix records ont été fixés pour les œuvres de Warhol et Modigliani. Comme pour le marché des vins fins, la demande était intense dans le très haut de gamme.
Grâce à un marché florissant à Hong Kong, les taux de liquidation des ventes aux enchères de vins ont été exceptionnels et des prix records ont été atteints. Les totaux annuels ont été les meilleurs jamais enregistrés, dépassant les sommets précédents atteints en 2007. Les trois principaux négociants en vin au Royaume-Uni – Berry Bros. & Rudd, Bordeaux Index et Farr Vintners – ont chacun déclaré des ventes de plus de 100 millions de livres sterling en 2010.
Les maisons de vente aux enchères en 2010
En 2010, les ventes aux enchères de vins fins ont totalisé 408,1 millions de dollars. Acker Merrall & Condit, basé à New York, a réalisé un chiffre d’affaires mondial de 98,5 millions de dollars, le total le plus élevé jamais atteint par une seule maison de vente aux enchères en un an. Près des deux tiers de ce chiffre provenaient de Hong Kong.
Sotheby’s a plus que doublé son total de 2009 pour atteindre 88,27 millions de dollars. Les ventes à Hong Kong ont augmenté de 268% en glissement annuel. Christie’s occupait la troisième place avec 71,5 millions de dollars, à peu près le même que son sommet de 2007.
En 2009, Zachys avait le brut le plus élevé de tous les commissaires-priseurs de vin. Bien qu’il ait totalisé 56,51 millions de dollars en 2010, cela ne représentait « que » une croissance de 11 % d’une année sur l’autre. Son chiffre d’affaires à Hong Kong n’a augmenté que de 3%. En comparaison, Acker Merrall était en hausse de 94%, Sotheby’s de 111% et Christie’s de 69%. La vente aux enchères de vins fins est une activité extrêmement concurrentielle.
Dans l’ensemble, les ventes à New York ont augmenté de 34%, le Royaume-Uni et l’Europe de 58% et Hong Kong de 157%. Le chiffre relativement modeste de New York suggère que le vin qui aurait été vendu auparavant là-bas va maintenant à Hong Kong.
Le Marteau Rouge
Comme en 2009, le marché des vins fins en 2010 a été dominé par le marché asiatique et par la marque Lafite.
Les collectionneurs de vin chinois dépenseront autant qu’il le faut pour obtenir ce qu’ils veulent. En octobre, trois bouteilles de Lafite 1869 ont été vendues chacune par Sotheby’s pour 1 500 000 HK$ (149 258 €), ce qui en fait la bouteille de vin la plus chère de 75 cl jamais vendue. Ils ont bien sûr été vendus à des clients « privés asiatiques ».
Le Lafite 2009 encore non embouteillé a rapporté 300 000 HK$ (29 852 €) lors de la vente d’octobre, un prix étonnant qui encouragera probablement les Bordelais (ou du moins Lafite) à fixer le prix de leurs 2010 encore plus ambitieux.
Une bouteille revendiquée comme la seule Impériale existante connue de Cheval Blanc 1947 a été vendue par Christie’s à Genève le 16 novembre pour CHF 298'500 (€239'051). Au prorata, cependant, il ne correspondait pas au Lafite 1869. Une Impériale de six litres en vaudrait CHF 1'450'390 (€1'161'530).
À travers le miroir
La prédiction est toujours difficile. En janvier 2004, Bill Gates a déclaré au Forum économique mondial : « Dans deux ans, le spam sera résolu. »
Mais, en ce qui concerne le bon vin, certaines choses sont proches des certitudes. Les années 2010 seront terriblement chères. À moins que l’économie ne glisse gravement, le marché des vins fins continuera à prospérer. Les bonnes affaires seront difficiles à trouver.
Nul doute qu’il y aura une ruée vers Lafite 2008 lors de sa sortie, avec son symbole chinois gravé sur la bouteille. Lafite est apparemment le seul domaine bordelais à avoir traduit l’intégralité de son site en chinois. Son voisin Mouton a astucieusement choisi l’artiste chinois Xu Lei pour son label sur mesure 2008.
La vente à découvert de Lafite 2009 sur la bourse des vins fins Liv-ex basée à Londres en juin a provoqué une « indignation » comme si la vente à découvert s’apparentait à l’affichage d’un dessin de Tom of Finland dans une vitrine. Mais le commerce « traditionnel » des vins fins ferait mieux de s’habituer à ce genre de chose. Comment et où le bon vin est commercialisé a changé pour toujours. Nous vivons à une époque de capital sans frontières dans laquelle il est facile d’acheter et de vendre du vin à Londres, New York ou Hong Kong, où que vous soyez.
Vins anniversaire
Avec les vins anniversaires, ceux qui célèbrent un 20e anniversaire ou un anniversaire en 1991 sont malchanceux – c’était un millésime épouvantable de Bordeaux. Tokaji était bon, tout comme Port. La Californie a eu une excellente année.
Pour le 21e anniversaire, 1990 offre beaucoup de choix. Ce fut une belle année à Bordeaux pour les vins rouges et liquoreux. Le Bourgogne rouge était exceptionnel et de bons blancs ont également été fabriqués. Le Rhône et la Champagne ont également connu de belles années, tout comme Barolo et Barbaresco.
Le vin de choix pour les célébrations du 25e serait Mouton Rothschild 1986 – attendez-vous à ce que la demande et les prix augmentent. Un très bon Bourgogne blanc a été fabriqué et ce fut une bonne année pour Penfolds Grange.
Bien qu’éclipsé par 1982, les clarets (et les champagnes) de 1981 peuvent être étonnamment agréables. 1971 est une autre année bordelaise démodée mais vaut le coup d’œil, en particulier Cheval Blanc. La RDC s’est bien comportée et des vins fins ont été élaborés dans le Rhône (en particulier l’Hermitage La Chapelle), en Champagne et dans la Moselle. C’est sans doute le meilleur millésime de Grange.
Les gens qui célèbrent leur 50e anniversaire sont profondément chanceux. 1961 est un vrai grand millésime bordelais, avec Latour et Palmer particulièrement distingués. Hermitage La Chapelle de cette année est le millésime le plus cher disponible de ce vin. Barolo et Barbaresco étaient également bons, bien que ce soit bien avant l’alchimie influencée par le tonneau d’Angelo Gaja.
Les vins de 1951 et 1941 sont pour la plupart terribles, bien que certains Madères de 41 soient considérés comme bons. Grange a été fabriqué pour la première fois en 1951, mais n’a jamais été commercialisé.
Port était formidable en 1931, en particulier Noval Nacional. Le premier millésime de Dom Pérignon a été élaboré en 1921, une année propice pour le Champagne au cours de laquelle Pol Roger a produit un vin renommé. Romanée-Conti et d’Yquem étaient fabuleux.
Il y a eu des émeutes en Champagne en 1911, bien que les vins soient encore très bons. Enfin, le millésime « Comet » de 1811 a été excellent dans toutes les régions viticoles classiques d’Europe. Les bouteilles apparaissent encore occasionnellement aux enchères et peuvent être bues avec plaisir par les centenaires !
PRIX MOYENS AUX ENCHÈRES DU CHÂTEAU LAFITE 1982 2010-2000
(12x75cl incluant les primes)
(Source : Liv-ex.com)
Décembre 2010 60 151 $ / 46 576 €
Janvier 2010 37 638 $ / 29 144 €
Janvier 2009 22 744 $ / 17 611 €
Janvier 2008 31 188 $ / 24 150 €
Janvier 2007 14 241 $ / 11 027 €
Janvier 2006 15 431 $ / 11 948,6 euros
Janvier 2005 7 396 $ / 5 727 €
Janvier 2004 6 789 $ / 5 257 €
Janvier 2003 6 038 $ / 4 675 €
Janvier 2002 5 269 $ / 4 080 €
Janvier 2001 4 764 $ / 3 689 €
Janvier 2000 3 895 $ / 3 016 €
TOTAL DES VENTES AUX ENCHÈRES 2010-2007
(Tous les totaux incluent les primes)
(Source: WineSpectator.com)
* “Estimated” figure
2009 2008 2007
Acker Merrall & Condit $44,212,698 $59,783,368 $59,860,000
Christie’s $50,444,401* $50,665,602 $71,647,944
Hart Davis Hart $24,008,542 $32,273,540 $26,920,140
Sotheby’s $41,755,284 $44,625,346 $49,287,329
Zachys $50,733,970 $29,840,000 $52,445,415
2010
Acker Merrall & Condit $98,495,056
Christie’s $71,500,000*
Hart Davis Hart $39,160,000
Sotheby’s $88,270,602
Zachys $56,510,000
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