2010 Jerome Chezeaux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Les Suchots

The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots comes across as understated. Sweet dark berries, spices, flowers and mint are some of the notes that are woven into a finessed fabric of notable elegance. The Suchots is one of the most refined wines in the Chezeaux lineup. Despite its considerable sensuality, the wine needs time to fully come together. Silky tannins frame the persistent finish. The Suchots was the first wine to finish its malo. There is the potential for the Suchots to turn out even better than this note suggests. It will be fun to find out. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. Jerome Chezeaux took over his family’s estate in 1994. The winery was originally founded in 1938, but only began bottling in the late 1960s. The 2010 harvest started on September 25 and lasted six days. The wines saw about 21 days of cuvaison (including 4-5 days cold soak) and were then aged in oak, with a fairly low amount of new wood, as is typical here. Yields were down 40% on average. The 2010s are on average excellent. The entry-level wines are terrific, both on absolute and relative terms. A number of the top 1er Crus and the Clos de Vougeot struck me as a bit closed, which is not surprising given the personality of the year. I will not be surprised if some of the top 2010s are even more impressive from bottle. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990