Vintage report 2009

The Opulent "Crowd-Pleaser"

• The Climate: A near-perfect growing season with a warm, dry summer and almost no disease pressure. Harvesting was easy, and sorting tables were largely unnecessary.

• Côte de Nuits (Red): This is a vintage of "flesh and charm." The wines are characterized by sweet, ripe tannins and opulent black fruit (blackberry, plum). While some purists found them slightly low in acidity, they have aged into incredibly seductive, "gourmand" bottles.

• Côte de Beaune (White): Lush, exotic, and broad. These wines show stone fruit and tropical notes (pineapple). Because of their richness, they are best consumed now while their fruit is still vibrant.