2010 White Burgundy

There is immediate power on the nose here and it is broad-shouldered but less evidently aromatic in its youth than the other cuvées. There is however a spectacular weight on the palate and a huge density of fruit that just needs time to show. One to put at the back of the cellar for longer-term enjoyment.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Caroline l’Estimé (née Gagnard) has been ploughing her vineyards since 2000 to avoid the use of herbicides and switched to full organic farming from 2010 with certification beginning from 2011. Noted soil scientist Claude Bourguigon is consulting. The 2010s were picked quickly (not many grapes alas) between 21st and 24th September, with any rot resulting from the famous storm having dried out or turned noble.

Burgundy Vintage 2010 Best Buys - Outside the Box
Lovely ripe fruit engulfs the nose, which is deep, rich and complex with a mineral edge. A very big wine on the palate, with savoury fruit, long and complex on the finish with crisp acidity and hints of limestone.
(Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager)

This Merlin classic begins with lovely, gentle, plump fruit, though there are fresh apple and grapefruit notes mingling within. This is quite lovely and offers superb balance and weight, with fruit to the fore and acidity beneath.
(Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director)

The wizard of the Mâconnais has produced a great range of wines in 2010 from his 14 hectare domaine, supplemented by some purchased grapes from certain appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé. There are few more reflective and meticulous producers in the Mâconnais than the Merlins, who form a great partnership with Olivier’s nervous energy supported by Corinne’s unflagging calm.

With a fine pale colour and beautiful, chiselled nose this is a fine Puligny-Montrachet. Very faint pineapple lends a more exotic touch and a lovely fresh finish all in superb harmony.
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.

Quite restrained on the nose and with a touch of lime blossom, this is excellent village Meursault. There is a real core of intensity through the middle, it is fresh and dynamic, whilst showing some attractive flesh at the back.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Antoine Jobard started picking on Sunday 19th September and hurried through so as to finish before the rains, announced for the following Friday, arrived. The wines have the same concentration as in Franois Jobards time but a greater purity. There is little emphasis on new oak, with an average of 20% new barrels across the range, leaving the wines to speak for themselves. Everything was fully ripe in 2010 but nothing exceeded 13.3% alcohol, so the balance is certainly there.

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 - Village Whites and Reds
Yields are significantly down this year at Jobard unfortunately, but the quality is as great as ever and Le Trézin is no different. Orange Blossom and Lemon Verbena notes unveil the vibrant mid-palate energy which hints at the huge potential which this wine undoubtedly has.
(Gary Owen, Private Account Manager)

Delicious Puligny from the top of the hill. The bouquet shows a bounce of minerals, pure and beautiful, with real energy right across the palate. Fine length. An admirable, textbook example.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Antoine Jobard started picking on Sunday 19th September and hurried through so as to finish before the rains, announced for the following Friday, arrived. The wines have the same concentration as in François Jobard’s time but a greater purity. There is little emphasis on new oak, with an average of 20% new barrels across the range, leaving the wines to speak for themselves. Everything was fully ripe in 2010 but nothing exceeded 13.3% alcohol, so the balance is certainly there.

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.

Pleasingly gentle and graceful on the nose, with a just a little lemon and lime hints this is surprisingly more intense than fleshy on the palate, with a crystalline purity added to the 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.

A hauntingly fine bouquet greets the nose of this wine and the massive intensity of fruit is matched by a razor-like acidity. The ensemble is inspirational, Arnauds finest Goutte dOr to date. The fruit keeps building on the palate too, but always with absolute precision.
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 Meursault has an incredible nose with an immense range of different flavours. There is massive concentration of fruit through the middle, yet still with a sense of discretion, despite the flamboyant white fruit and whole array of dancing floral notes.
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.

Lovely pale lemon colour; a remarkably stylish nose with all the class of really top Puligny. Very linear but with lots of subtle nuances dancing around the core. Fresh acidity brings up a long finale.
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.

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.

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.

Beautifully aromatic with lime blossom notes and an attractive ripe character, this is a wonderfully fresh white wine. Apples and fresh pineapple dominate the palate, which is pleasingly long and certainly appealing.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

2010 is the fourth vintage of this recently created domaine which is vinified by Sylvain Debord in the now largely refurbished winery on the edge of Beaune, all under the watchful eye of Nicolas Potel. Nicolas and Sylvian are particularly keen to use 450 and 600 litre barrels rather than the traditionally smaller Burgundian size, as they aerate the wines nicely without adding too much of an oak effect. The senior wines such as Beaune Grves and upwards, are vinified with all of their stems.

In contrast to the more aromatic style of Les Tillets, the En la Barre bottling is more about body and texture. There is impressive weight here, a classical lower slope Meursault with rounded body.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Antoine Jobard started picking on Sunday 19th September and hurried through so as to finish before the rains, announced for the following Friday, arrived. The wines have the same concentration as in Franois Jobards time but a greater purity. There is little emphasis on new oak, with an average of 20% new barrels across the range, leaving the wines to speak for themselves. Everything was fully ripe in 2010 but nothing exceeded 13.3% alcohol, so the balance is certainly there.

The nose of this Corton-Charlemagne is rich and sun drenched with a touch of bananas, mirabelle plums and the occasional citric note. It is deliciously opulent on the palate with a fine rich finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

After several years surrounded by building works, David Croix now has a smart new cellar to play with, as well as the three new vineyards from the hill of Corton which arrived just in time for the 2009 vintage. This year all the vineyard work has been done by Davids own team which has made a difference. It is a beautiful range of wines overall, everything delivering just a little bit more than the appellations suggest. The Beaunes were picked from September 21st to the 23rd, the Cortons the following week.

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.

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.

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.