2010 Charmes Chambertin

The 2010 Charmes-Chambertin is sublime. It reveals lovely fleshiness and depth. Sweet red berries, flowers and spices flesh out in the glass. The Charmes impresses for its impeccable textural finesse, fabulous balance and overall sense of harmony. The Le Moine Charmes is equal parts true Charmes and Mayozères.

The 2010 Charmes-Chambertin is sublime. It reveals lovely fleshiness and depth. Sweet red berries, flowers and spices flesh out in the glass. The Charmes impresses for its impeccable textural finesse, fabulous balance and overall sense of harmony. The Le Moine Charmes is equal parts true Charmes and Mayozeres. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. It is always fascinating to settle in for a tasting with proprietor Mounir Saouma. With the exception of Jadot, I can't think of a single maison that draws across such a broad range of top vineyards. When taken together, the whites and reds provide insight to the performance of dozens of the finest sites in the region. Saouma is not much for comparisons when discussing 2010, saying quite simply, -2010 is 2010.- The vintage was not without some disappointments. Because of the miniscule yields, there is no 2010 Romanee St. Vivant or Richebourg. As always, these are some of the most unmanipulated wines being made in Burgundy. When I tasted the 2010s in November 2011, the wines had never been sulphured or racked. Saouma had just finished bottling his 2009s (a vintage many bottled on the early side) in October 2011! Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639

(half from Mazoyeres): Good medium bright red. Wild raspberry and a whiff of truffle on the slightly reduced nose. Fat, dense and dry; less expressive today than the Cazetiers but with a fine-grained texture to the flavors of bitter cherry, dried flowers and menthol. A solid limestone underpinning should enable this wine to evolve slowly.