The 2010 Vosne-Romanee Les Petits Monts comes across as a bit closed in on itself at present. The tannins are polished and silky but the aromas and flavors struggle to emerge from beneath. A round, sensual finish bodes very well for the future. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2030. This is a terrific set of wines from Regis Forey. Quality is strong throughout the range, but Forey has really done a stellar job with his top 1er Crus and Grand Crus, where the wines truly sing. This is one domaine where the quality difference between 2009 and 2010 is quite striking. My strong preference is for the 2010s. I tasted a few of the 2010 village wines from bottle, and the rest of the wines from barrel. The wines in barrel had not been racked. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Petits Monts is soft and sumptuous in this vintage. Most of the wine's appeal is immediate, as the intensity drops off markedly on the mid-palate and finish. This is quite a bit less interesting and complex than the best 2009s here. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Regis Forey began harvesting on September 13. His wines did a total of eight(!) weeks of cuvaison, by far the lengthiest vinifications of any grower I visited. Forey used 100% new oak for all of his 1ers and Grands Crus. The wines were bottled between December, 2010 and February, 2011 with no fining or filtration. These are unusually open, fruit-driven wines, even within the context of 2009. The Grand Crus are not necessarily better than some of the 1ers. I am not sure how well the wines will age, but in most cases they will certainly deliver considerable pleasure early on. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990