2010 White Burgundy

Slightly the palest colour of the three whites Immediate floral and mineral nose. Subtle and precise with some richer elements fleshed onto a fine-boned structure. Lovely elements suffuse the finish, fragrant lemon blossom. Long and fine and very persistent.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer)

Here the yields were particularly small and the wine exceptionally concentrated as a result. This year it includes grapes that usually go into the cuvée millerandée, a wine not bottled this year as there was too little made. This is spectacular wine from the Bret’s flagship vineyard. Magically intense, it has a dramatic mineral core and amazing persistence.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The three Bret Brothers are now presiding over an expanded cellar at their home base, Domaine de la Soufrandière, though this development is intended to give them better working facilities rather than because they want to grow the business dramatically. It is a particularly small crop this year as a result of some hail damage as well as the poor flowering experienced elsewhere. Despite this, the wines are exactly what the Bret’s like to produce – pure and crystal clear, with intensity more than weight.

Pouilly-Vinzelles, Les Longeays is a beautiful vineyard next door to Les Quarts. It makes dense concentrated wine, with an extra dimension in 2010: grace, freshness and underlying power.
Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buying Director

The three Bret Brothers are now presiding over an expanded cellar at their home base, Domaine de la Soufrandière, though this development is intended to give them better working facilities rather than because they want to grow the business dramatically. It is a particularly small crop this year as a result of some hail damage as well as the poor flowering experienced elsewhere. Despite this, the wines are exactly what the Bret’s like to produce – pure and crystal clear, with intensity more than weight.

Weighty and ripe with a touch of verbena adding spice to the nose, this is smart wine for the money. The fruit steadily grows in the mouth before the impressive finish that shows hints of lemon grass.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Production has recently moved to a new facility on the outskirts of Beaune, which is making life much easier for the Roche de Bellene team. The philosophy stays the same: work with excellent grape sources and get the wines out into the market at competitive prices. The reds have had an excellent following for many a year now, while recently the whites have shown the same impressive price to quality ratio that makes this such a good address.

Though Maison Louis Jadot dont own the vines from the Chassagne side of the vineyard, they certainly know what to do with the grapes. Wave after wave of fruit bursts across the palate and there is majesty throughout, especially in the aftertaste.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The old order changeth slowly at Maison Louis Jadot. Veteran winemaker Jacques Lardire is still very much in charge, but his eventual successor Frdric is starting to play a more prominent role. Dont expect a revolution, but a little evolution is doubtless possible. The acidity of 2010 very much suits the Jadot white wine style, while their fullish extraction of Pinot Noir has worked notably well in several red cuves such as the Volnay, Clos de la Barre which we have selected for the first time this year. Where the wines come from one of the various Jadot domaines we supply the relevant information in brackets.

Bright pale yellow. At first the nose is completely closed, but fruit begins to emerge as it warms up. Some fresh apricot and white peaches perhaps. Full and fleshy on the palate yet with a beautiful, fresh, stony finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Domaine de Montille picked between the 18th and 26th September in 2010. The red wines, made by American Brian Sieve (one of two winemakers in this catalogue born in Indianapolis!) under the surveillance of Etienne de Montille, now show a consistency of style and quality that perhaps was not entirely there a few years ago. The whites are the responsibility of Etiennes sister Alix and maintain the class of recent times. Together they have produced a fine result in 2010.

There were only 100 cases of this new wine produced in 2010, which is a shame at it provides terrific, elegant Meursault. Pure, clean and bright with a very chiselled, mineral nose, it is crunchy on the palate before it fattens out. The whole is suffused with a floral perfume.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The former Domaine René Manuel has been purchased by investors, the vineyards being split between Domaine des Comtes Lafon and Domaine Roulot while Dominique Lafon himself has moved production of his own label wines to the Manuel cellars in Meursault, as well as gaining some Bourgogne Blanc vines. Though Dominique operates officially under the status of negociant, all the wines are domaine grown and bottled except the Bourgogne Blanc, which will be next year.

Burgundy Vintage 2010 Best Buys - Affordable Gems
From the vines planted in the grounds of the château, this could really be a Puligny-Montrachet on the nose with its lifted aromas, energy and drive on the palate.
(Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager)

This is fine Bourgogne Blanc from what used to be the park in front of the château. It has an engaging nose where the fruit stands out immediately, good flesh on the palate and a fine long finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The exceptionally attractive nose of this wine is lead by touches of baked apples and some lifted floral notes. On the palate the flavours start gently, but then rapidly build in intensity before a fabulous finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau started picking early on 17th September in 2010, continuing over the following nine days as the vineyards ripened. His wines maintain their traditional status as excellent value for money, while the move to his new cellars two years ago has improved the consistency of the range and purity too. The aromatics of this 2010 vintage remind Jean-Baptiste of 2002, but perhaps with greater flesh.

From the Pernand-Vergelesses side, this superb wine ticks all of the boxes. It has the richness of Grand Cru, a bundle of minerals behind and plenty of weight.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Benjamin Leroux has managed to produce almost as much wine in 2010 as he did in 2009. Some of his grape contracts were short because of the low crop in 2010, but he has been able to compensate with some new sources of supply. 2010, Benjamin’s fourth vintage, looks to be a great success in both colours here. Included in this selection is a cuvée of Volnay Santenots from the Hospices de Beaune whose élévage we entrusted to Benjamin.

There is a lovely touch of floral aromatics on the nose here, but also the classical Meursault butteriness. There is huge concentration on the palate, with waves of fruit following one after the other. The beautifully defined fresh finish completes this extraordinary wine.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Arnaud Ente is always one of the first to pick. His meticulous vineyard work and low yields encourage early ripeness, so in 2010 he could start on 15th September. The yield is much the same as 2008 and Arnaud notes similar acidity readings, but with much more flesh on the palate and finer aromatics. The label has also been fine-tuned this year and is now exceptionally handsome. Overall, these are breath-taking wines.

Glowing a beautiful and pristine primrose colour this has a slightly more opulent nose than the Meursaults, with blossom notes and a summer meadow feeling. It offers a wondrous multi-dimensional mouthful too with a brilliant fleshy finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Arnaud Ente is always one of the first to pick. His meticulous vineyard work and low yields encourage early ripeness, so in 2010 he could start on 15th September. The yield is much the same as 2008 and Arnaud notes similar acidity readings, but with much more flesh on the palate and finer aromatics. The label has also been fine-tuned this year and is now exceptionally handsome. Overall, these are breath-taking wines.

This is the smallest crop to date from this fabulous vineyard, with just two-thirds of the volume made in 2009. As usual the nose is striking, almost floral and certainly with a steely edge. A full and rich, round mouthful with excellent balancing acidity to the generous finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Two recent trends which have been continued here by winemaker Pierre Vincent are a slight reduction in the amount of new oak, which now mostly comes from the local forest of Cîteaux, and a slight increase in the use of stems during vinification. The latter is subtly judged though, as there is very rarely any outright feel of the stems in the bouquet or on the palate. 2010 is a tiny crop here, averaging out at 24 hl/ha across the cellar but the wines are magically concentrated.

Presenting itself with a fine clear and pale colour, with just a little touch of oak on the nose, this wine shows exceptional class throughout. There is plenty of fresh acidity here but it is seamlessly integrated into the flesh of the fruit.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Arnaud Ente is always one of the first to pick. His meticulous vineyard work and low yields encourage early ripeness, so in 2010 he could start on 15th September. The yield is much the same as 2008 and Arnaud notes similar acidity readings, but with much more flesh on the palate and finer aromatics. The label has also been fine-tuned this year and is now exceptionally handsome. Overall, these are breath-taking wines.

A fresh and lively bouquet with notes of lime blossom greet the nose here. It builds beautifully on the palate, being graceful as well as exceptionally intense, tightly wound and long.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Arnaud Ente is always one of the first to pick. His meticulous vineyard work and low yields encourage early ripeness, so in 2010 he could start on 15th September. The yield is much the same as 2008 and Arnaud notes similar acidity readings, but with much more flesh on the palate and finer aromatics. The label has also been fine-tuned this year and is now exceptionally handsome. Overall, these are breath-taking wines.

Brilliant, pure and clear, this wine is also immensely stylish and joyous, yet has precision too! Very backward because it is so concentrated, every sip of this wine still shows its class and balance. An exceptional level of quality.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Arnaud Ente is always one of the first to pick. His meticulous vineyard work and low yields encourage early ripeness, so in 2010 he could start on 15th September. The yield is much the same as 2008 and Arnaud notes similar acidity readings, but with much more flesh on the palate and finer aromatics. The label has also been fine-tuned this year and is now exceptionally handsome. Overall, these are breath-taking wines.

Exhibiting a lovely nose with lots of character and even a touch of menthol, this is a superb Bourgogne Blanc. It is full of life and lift, whilst also possessing good crunchy acidity, plenty of body and an attractive steely quality.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The 2010s here come in various slightly different styles according to the picking date. Bourgogne Oligocene was picked early, most of the Meursaults the following week while Tte de Murger came in last with extra ripeness in the grapes. Plans are taking place for the future though Patrick has no intention of retiring yet. One daughter, Marion, has been working with him for several years and he has now been joined by son-in-law Pierre-Emmanuel Lamy (no relation to Olivier).