2010 Meursault Les Narvaux

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.

It was necessary to treat the vines against oidium and mildew until early August in 2010, said Pierre-Yves Colin, but in the end he had clean grapes and a superb harvest, "with less than 5% rot." Colin believes that his 2010s have similar acidity to the 2008s, which he describes as a bit more exotic, but that the newer set of wines also possess a better natural balance of vivacity and gras. The 2009s, he continued, are less vivid today but they may have more force than the 2008s and 2010s. "They should be great in ten years." Colin racked the 2009s twice, exposed to air, and a long elevage on the lees in an attempt to "shrink them down." The 2010 malos were almost entirely finished by the date of my visit but the wines had not yet been racked. He did no debourbage and no batonnage, and with the fruit picked with potential alcohol between 12.8% and 13%, no chaptalization was necessary. Colin continues to bring down the percentage of new oak he uses to age his wines. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Atherton Imports, Atherton, CA)