Chermette's 2010 Fleurie Les Garants - from a spot below Poncie with a southwestern exposure - exhibits dark berries in a more luscious profusion than that of the corresponding Poncie and accompanied by a whiff of game. The trade-off is less focus, energy, and brightness, though this is the marginally more flattering wine today. Hints of coriander, salt, and berry seed add to the interest and stimulation of a fine finish. Like its immediate sibling, this ought to be worth following for 4-5 years. Pierre Chermette - for more about whom, consult in particular my report in issue 184 - didn't start picking his 2010s until September 23rd, with Moulin-a-Vent and Fleurie Les Garants; and completed his harvest of the estate's majority Appellation Beaujolais vineyards on October 5. "Really, the quality was comparable to that of 2009," he asserts, "just at a full degree less alcohol and with higher acidity. Vinification was easy." Yields, he adds, were comparable, and only a slightly more stringent selection of fruit was required than in 2009.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800