2010 - Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Comte Georges de Vogue

The 2010 Musigny Vieilles Vignes is incredibly long and silky on the palate. Saline notes add urgency and vibrancy to the expressive red fruit in this beautifully woven, textured Musigny. Currently the Musigny appears to be revealing just a fraction of its potential. The sweet floral notes and super-refined red fruit that emerge over time are stunningly beautiful, though, and it is just a matter of time before the wine is fully formed. Today the 2010 is all about textural finesse, and there is no shortage of that in the glass. This is another stunningly beautiful wine from de Vogue. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045. Long-time oenologist Francois Millet was away during my visit to Burgundy, so I can’t relay his always visually evocative thoughts on recent vintages. At the end of the day, though, these wines need no words; they speak for themselves, and then some. Commercial director Jean-Luc Pepin was kind enough to show me all of the 2010s and 2009s (from bottle), including the seldom seen Bourgogne Blanc. I will report on the 2009s in the April issue. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Atlanta Wholesale Wines, Atlanta, GA; tel. (404) 696-9440; C?Est Vin, District of Columbia; tel. (703) 243-3559; Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

It has been some time since I tasted the 2010 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru from de Vogüé. I have been critical of some heavy-handed vintages, but not in this case. This has a lovely nose, floral and pure with wild mint, fennel and red fruit, very Gevrey in style. Excellent delineation and sense of breeding. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm but not oppressive backbone. Yes, there is a touch of austerity, but it feels part of this wine's DNA, fanning out gloriously on the finish. Majestic. Tasted at the Southwold Burgundy dinner at Hatched restaurant.

Very dark crimson. Perfumed yet with such great bottom. Rich mix of fruit and moss on the nose. Quite dry, severe start with obviously massive potential. Majestic. But not for a very long time! This wine shows that there is no question of 2010s being a considered a lesser vintage. Great structure and great ambition but certainly not for neophytes. Bone dry. Compare and contrast with the warm welcome chez Roumier! Much denser than chez Mugnier. (JR)