Bienvenue Bâtard Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive 2010

Things go up a notch or two with the 2010 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, which appears to hover on the palate with the grace of a ballerina. The Bienvenues is all about weightless elegance and implied structure, but it is all there in the glass. At times a bit intellectual, the Bienvenues is nevertheless immensely appealing. Layers of soft, perfumed fruit flow effortlessly to the nuanced, feminine finish. A hint of floral honey and almonds lingers on the palate. I can't wait to see how this ages. Anticipated maturity: 2020+.

Estate Manager Eric Remy has one of the sharpest memories of anyone I have ever met. His recall of specific dates and events is quite remarkable, so I will take advantage of that in reporting a very complete picture of the 2010 growing season. Accoring to Remy, in order to gain some insight on 2010, one has to start with the brutal frost of December 19, 2009, when temperatures dropped to a bone chilling -20C/-4F after having hovered around freezing for a few days prior. The very next day, temperatures shot up to 10C/50F. January was quite dry. A bit of snow fell in early February, but the rest of the month was dry. The last frosts at the domaine were recorded from March 10-14. The weather improved in April, especially towards the end of the month. May and June were cold. Flowering in the domine's vineyards started on June 5th and ended between June 20 and 22. The first part of July was hot but stable, while the second part of the month was cold and humid. Unstable conditions persisted throughout August. A hailstorm with heavy thunder in Santenay on September 12 was a sign harvest time was approaching. A bit of botrytis was recorded on September 17. The harvest started on September 20. Yields came in around 45 hectoliters per hectare, pretty much in line with 2009, the only domaine I visited where that is the case.

(bottled three weeks prior to my visit): Bright yellow. Subdued aromas of white peach, pineapple and white flowers lifted by spicy clove oil. At once elegant and penetrating, showing superb depth and building energy to its bracing citrus-dominated flavors. Nothing exotic about this beauty. Really leaves the taste buds vibrating. A great showing for this pure, beautifully balanced baby: I'd cellar it for a decade.