2010 Chambolle Musigny Les Fuees

Good medium red. Very ripe aromas of red berries, mocha and espresso, lifted by a pungent note of cranberry. Then smooth and high-pitched in the mouth, with terrific verve and clarity to the flavors of strawberry, crushed stone and white pepper. On the lean side, showing a distinctly early-picked character and some herbal nuances on the firm, juicy finish. This will need time in bottle to gain complexity.

The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuees shows the more feminine side of Chambolle in its freshly cut flowers, spices, sweet red berries and licorice. The Fuees embodies all of the qualities that make Chambolle such a seductive village. The lithe, refined finish leaves a lasting impression. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. 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

Dense and rich ruby looking. Broad, ferns, undergrowth. Juicy and very rewarding, but with great freshness and precision. (JR)