2010 Griotte Chambertin

Moderately saturated medium red. Lovely perfumed lift to the aromas of red cherry, crushed stone and rose petal; I would have picked this blind as coming from Chambolle-Musigny. Not the last word in depth but vibrant, high-pitched and precise, with a saline complexity to its red fruit and floral flavors. Finishes juicy, bright and long, with an impression of elevated acidity. Assistant winemaker Frederic Barnier told me that "this old-school grower never picks late."

The 2010 Griotte-Chambertin floats on the palate with the silkiest of red berries, freshly cut roses and sweet mint. Currently the Griotte comes across as understated, finessed and classy. The mid-weight structure is deceptive in its weightlessness. While the Griotte may drink well fairly early for the vintage, it also appears to have the pedigree to age well for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. I tasted an amazing range of 2010 reds at Jadot with long-term winemaker Jacques Lardiere and his successor Frederic Barnier. In order to make this large section of the report easier to read, I have broken up the wines into the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits. Lardiere and Barnier told me they were quite worried about the prospects for the harvest upon their return from summer vacations in August, but the year was saved by a perfect September. Yields are down 25-50% because of the frost and cold weather earlier in the year, but overall quality is very high. Lardiere and Barnier also noted that early on it appeared that there would be a wide gap in quality between the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits, but over time that gap narrowed to some extent. Still, there is little question the vintage was more challenging in the Cote de Beaune because of a rainier summer and overall higher precipitation throughout the year. Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7756

The 2010 Griotte-Chambertin floats on the palate with the silkiest of red berries, freshly cut roses and sweet mint. Currently the Griotte comes across as understated, finessed and classy. The mid-weight structure is deceptive in its weightlessness. While the Griotte may drink well fairly early for the vintage, it also appears to have the pedigree to age well for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. Dec 2011, www.robertparker.com