2010 A Dream Vintage?

When a vintage gives us such good body, an excellent acidity and a true expression of terroir, we, the winemakers, should have all the necessary qualities to produce wines of the highest quality.  2009 was a year which gave us a lot of rich, heavy fruit with very little acidity. The weather in 2010 was unusual and made a marked difference, particularly in the premier and grand crus.
June’s colder temperatures didn’t allow the flowering of the vines to happen as normal. Coulure (where the flowers shatter and the fruit is therefore not properly pollinated) and millerandage (the non-development of the fruit) gave us a reduced harvest most notably in the premier and grand crus (these were more advanced in their vegetative cycle) and a remarkable concentration of flavour.
Following this a cold summer with little sunshine did nothing to help the harvest. It was only in September that the return of the sun turned around the vintage and gave us what we have in the cellar today.
The only uncertainty with the aging, which has moved very quickly (1 to 1.5% vol/week) is the level of acidity, which is not dropping very quickly. If there is enough sunshine with a cold north-east wind the colder temperatures do not allow the breaking down of the malik and tartric acids in the grapes.
From the tests performed on the grapes we saw a large discrepancy between the parcelles. The grands vins, which had been badly affected by millerandage, were mature well before the village and regional areas which meant starting the harvest on the 15th September.
The Result:  The whites are full, classy and have a good acidity which will give them life and length. The reds are fruity with supple tannins, elegant but with the tone of the vintage.
So, dear reader, if you are in doubt as to the quality of 2010, having read the opinion of a winemaker who loves this style of wine, come to Burgundy and discover our winery and our wines!
Philippe GRILLET