2010 Domaine Bruno Clair, Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru

The 2010 Chambertin-Clos de Beze seems to hover on the palate. Dark red berries, freshly cut flowers, minerals and mint are all supported by the silkiest of tannins. The Beze boasts striking inner perfume and fabulous overall balance. Though deceptively medium in body, there is plenty of stuffing and structure to support a long life in the cellar. This is a decidedly feminine Beze that impresses for its sheer elegance and pure class. In sum, it is pure Bruno Clair. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045. This is a fabulous set of wines from Bruno Clair and his long-time oenologist Philippe Brun. The harvest started on September 25. Yields were 22-30 hectoliters per hectare, which is to say a good 10% less than 2003, a torrid vintage marked by tiny yields. Clair describes the fruit as healthy, with no botrytis and soft tannins from the late harvest. The 2010s were 100% destemmed. New oak ranged from 25% for the villages to 50% for the Grand Crus, except for the Marsannays, which saw very little new oak. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808, Fine Vines, Melrose Park, IL; tel. (708) 343-6702, The Source, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 621-6151