Vinblog – Vinkreutzer i glasset

2010 Burgundy is a very interesting vintage, especially for red wine. Through my work at Otto Suenson Wine, I’m fortunate to taste a good deal of wine from this already heralded vintage. We have the uncrowned Queen of Burgundy working with us here at Suenson and it was a pleasure tasting these wines with her. These wines have been tasted over a 2 week period at the end of February 2012. All wines were tasted none blind, right after opening and throughout the evenings.

This first entry from these 2 nights will be with the entry red wines. The wines mixed from the 2 occasions. All comments will be very welcome.

2010 Bertrand Ambroise, Bourgogne rouge – very juicy style with plenty of typical Burgundy character. This is not a powerful wine, and those who are searching for a wine that could lose in a blind test Vs. New Zealand, could use this to beat up. But, if you like Burgundy style with elegance and earthiness, then this can be your go to wine.

2010 Philippe et Vincent Lecheneaut, Clos Prieur, Bourgogne rouge – a wine with a lovely fruit maturity on the palate. The use of oak is very present, but as long as you still have plenty of fruit, then it’s ok with me. Soft tannins and black fruit at the back of the palate. Easy drinkable, with plenty of touch from the producer and its own personality.

2010 Philippe et Vincent Lecheneaut, Morey Saint Denis – very typical Lecheneaut with plenty of oak on the nose and palate. Soft and creamy texture, with notes of strawberry and a hint of marcipan. If you’re looking for a good place to start buying Burgundy, this could be it. Very pleasant.

2010 Mongeard-Mugneret, La Croix, Hautes Cotes de Nuits – very discreet nose with only a core of cherry. A very elegant wine that didn’t give me much. Didn’t taste again, but heard that it opened up with much more fruit. This I will taste again.

2010 Ramonet, Chassagne-Montrachet – I must confess I simply overlooked this on my first tasting through the wines. But when I came back and looked deeper into the glass this was a very interesting wine. It’s so elegant, and so precise in its fruit profile. It develops beautiful minerality in the glass, never gets heavy. Probably the most elegant wine of the night. Sold out in seconds.

2010 Dugat-Py, Cuvée Halinard, Bourgogne rouge – bang; in-your-face style with plenty of open knit fruit and Gevrey freshness with orange and black schist. A clear blackberry sorbet, that reminds me of summer at the beach. Well-structured with tannins that gives complexity.  A wine it will be interesting to follow, this is high level for the AOP, but almost made with Gevrey Chambertin fruit.

2010 Jacques Prieur, Champs Pimont, Beaune 1’er Cru – high intensity, mature red berries and very clean fruity style of red wine. Good balance between the 3 major elements: fruit acidity, tannins and fruit intensity. That is the triangle of 2010 Burgundy, showing in this elegant wine.  Only a little minerality and earthiness under the fruit.

2010 Paul Pillot, Vielles Vignes, Santenay – intens and charming nose that jumps out of the glass. A touch of orange to back-up the small strawberries. An elegant wine, a wrote “violin” on the paper.  Top Santenay.

2010 Mongeard-Mugneret, Pernand Vergelesses, Les Vergelesses 1’er Cru – very focused on the fruit, a little tight, not much volume, but so clean. A small element of bitter cherrystone and roseleave, but along with the red fruit it gives an edge and freshness to the wine. You sure want to drink this wine now, but it will probably develop even more layers of fruit in a few years.

2010 Tollot-Beaut, Lavieres 1’er Cru, Savigny-les-Beaune – very tight on the nose with black sweet licorice, plums and blackberry. Creamy texture with medium tannin and fruit intensity. Again, a very good balance between the elements. The oak is placed nicely in the back of the picture.

2010 Tollot-Beaut, Les Vercots 1’er Cru, Aloxe Corton – tight and complicated to begin with. This producer used to over-oak his wine, now it’s more balanced. Still not a very open wine on approach, but after an hour or so we get more deep black fruit elements with dark forest fruit. Very intense fruit, with a nice hint of orange to give the fresh balance. A wine that really got to my, with a little time in the glass.