2010 Saint Aubin Le Banc

Colin-Morey’s 2010 St. Aubin Le Banc is focused, direct and quite pretty. An exotic, floral note develops in the bouquet, giving the wine a little more personality than is often the case. The minerality of the vintage comes through on the finish. The Banc is a great introduction to the wines of Pierre-Yves Colin. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Pierre-Yves Colin and Caroline Morey follow their stunning 2009s with an equally compelling set of 2010s. The 2010s have deep site-specific signatures, rich fruit and plenty of acidity. Fans of this small, but increasingly high profile address will want to flock to these wines. Pierre Yves Colin started picking on September 22. Yields were down just 5-10%, which is pretty remarkable considering the vintage. It was a difficult vintage in the cellar, as malos were late and slow. When I visited last June, virtually all of the wines were still finishing their malos. With the exception of the St. Aubins, the 2010s spent about 18 months in barrel. The St. Aubins were bottled in November 2011. All of the other 2010s were bottled in April 2012. The 2011s, which I tasted from barrel, are very promising, so there is a lot to look forward to. A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; also imported by Bertin Henri Selections, 10900 N.W. 21st Street, Unit 180, Doral, Florida 33172 tel: (305) 343-4054

Silly heavy bottle. But gloriously introvert struck-match nose. Fabulous ripe but not sweet fruit with a hint of grapefruit peel. Nervy and with obviously great potential. Tempting to drink now but that would be silly. Lovely balance. Certainly not fat but a great example of this exciting producer's style. (JR)