2010 Vosne Romanee Beaumonts

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts is striking in its beauty. Dark plums, cherries, menthol, flowers and licorice literally explode from the glass as the wine shows off its pedigree and sheer class. Rich, powerful and sensual, the 2010 Beaux Monts is a dazzling, complete wine that will be nearly impossible to resist in its youth, even if it needs considerable bottle age to be at its best. Sweet floral notes and cool mineral notes appear to give brightness to the radiant, expansive finish. This is a stunning wine from Etienne and Marielle Grivot. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600

Very dark ruby. Heady and complex. Lots of sweetness on the front palate leads into something very mellifluous and not at all obdurate unlike some wines from this domaine. Has an extra dimension of concentration. Though not everyone will want it. Not cheap! (JR)

Good medium red. Slightly reduced but highly nuanced nose offers raspberry, smoky minerality, Oriental spices and dark chocolate, along with a whiff of earth. Silky on entry, then taut and imploded in the middle, conveying a saline, iodiney quality. At once suave and powerful, with the energy of the vintage in spades.