<strong>2010</strong> Vintage Report Small but perfectly formed The Growing Season January and February represented a ‘proper’ winter – cold, little sunlight and with snow on the ground. After the final frosts in mid-March, warmer weather arrived and continued throughout April. The vine was stirred into activity with budding taking place quickly in the warmth. May was cooler and slowed things down and in early June, the key period of flowering commenced under cold, blustery and often wet conditions, stretching out over a period of almost three weeks. The result was extremely uneven with widespread coulure and millerandage. From late June onwards, the picture was unsettled with the constant threat of oidium and other vine diseases. Vignerons needed to be in the vineyard as much as possible. When warmth returned, as it did in late June and early July, it never stayed for long. Memories of the holiday season from mid-July throughout most of August were of regular rain and cool temperatures. As September loomed, acid levels in the plants were still high and sugar levels were inching up slowly. A boost was provided by brighter weather in the final days of August and early September when strong winds also helped to concentrate the fruit on the vines as well as keep rots at bay. On 12th September, a violent storm hit Santenay and brought with it a heightened threat of rot developing in neighbouring villages. With nerves frayed, most growers decided enough was enough and the harvest commenced in the following days. The Harvest The coulure and millerandage that followed the poor flowering had reduced yields quite dramatically, up to 60% in some parcels with most Domaines reporting an overall average reduction in yields of around 25-30%. The advantage of this, given the cool climatic conditions, was of course that there was a smaller quantity of fruit to ripen and the vine was thus able to concentrate its energies into the fruit that was there, rather than dilute it. With the slow but steady maturation and fully extended ‘hang time’, many Domaines reported beautiful, healthy but very small berries at harvest time. Jean Marie Fourrier likened his crop to caviar and had to buy a special sorting table as his normal 8mm gauge table was too big! Most growers started picking around 17th September with only a very few continuing beyond the end of the month. Picking was done parcel by parcel, with reds and whites coming in at the same time depending on the ripeness of the specific site. In the Cellar Despite the cool summer, the extended harvest period had allowed normal sugar levels to be obtained. Chaptalisation, where it was carried out, was typically done from half to one full degree, with very few wines exceeding 13.5°. High acid levels were a feature from the beginning, giving a freshness to the fruit, not dissimilar to the 2008s. Malolactic fermentations were erratic, some Domaines reporting that they had all finished by early spring of 2011, whereas at other addresses they were still continuing during our autumn visits. Some cuvées advanced at a remarkably different pace to others, even in the same cellar and what was reassuring to see was that growers seemed untroubled by this, happy for nature to take its course. Many remember the recent experiences of 2004 and 2008 when malos were especially extended and thus take confidence in allowing flavours to develop slowly, if so required. With high ratios of skin to juice in the small, concentrated berries, destemming the reds gained more favour than using whole bunches. Although there are no hard and fast rules, most vignerons remain open-minded about the value of the use of stems but with so little juice, increasing the percentage of solids was something that most opted against. Extraction happened easily, with little need for extended cuvaison or heavy cap-punching. Aromatic freshness and complexity could thus be preserved and with tannins showing refinement, the young wines showed good early promise. <strong>2010</strong> Vintage Report Small but perfectly formed The Wines – Whites Confidence in the quality of the whites was seemingly never in doubt once the fruit was in. There is a freshness and liveliness to the wines that excites the taster at first acquaintance. Only the very latest ripening corners of the Côte show a lack of maturity. The vast majority of wines show ripeness, finesse, minerality, balance and excellent definition of terroir. There is a salty, dry feeling in many of them but there is also purity and a crystalline nature to the fruit, with flavours generally more citric than stonefruit and in the best examples, the floral and herbal notes are also strongly present. The more grown-up wines will certainly benefit from a little time in bottle and will be best enjoyed at the table, rather than wowing the judges in a line-up. The general consensus is that they resemble the 2008s but with more allure and are certainly in contrast to the more generous 2009s. Unmistakably, this is a style of Chardonnay that only <strong>Burgundy</strong> can provide. As the brilliant Brian Sieve, the chef de cave at de Montille, who hails from California, memorably stated: “<strong>2010</strong> is why I came to <strong>Burgundy</strong>”. 4 www.armit.co.uk T. 020 7908 0600 5