The 2010 edition of our annual Burgundy and Rhone offering marks the fifth year in a row that we have run this program. Needless to say we are very excited to offer you the fine selection of wines that are contained within these pages. You will notice that this year we have beefed up our Rhône selection and have scaled back the number of Burgundy producers we have to offer. Nonetheless, I am confident that you will find many wines that will be of interest to you. By now, you will have no doubt, read much in the wine press about how spectacular the 2007’s are from the Rhône Valley. Robert Parker used such phrases as “the vintage of a liftetime” and “a truly historic and profoundly great vintage.” Having been a devoted Rhône lover myself for 20 years and having tasted every vintage, good and bad, in that time I thought these comments a touch extreme. I had mentally accused Mr. Parker of hyperbole until I had the chance to try many of these wines during my visit to Vinisud in February of this year. To put it quite simply, the 2007’s are incredible and are definitely worthy of all the praise they have received. The only problem is that in some cases, availability is an issue. High demand, coupled with low production means that competition for these gems has been fierce. However, I recommend that you don’t just focus on the much talked about Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s, but rather take a look at the other appellations and don’t forget to sample some of the great, valued priced Côtes-du- Rhône’s. While it was virtually impossible to make a bad wine in the Rhône Valley in 2007, it was a much different story in Burgundy for the 2007 reds. During my visit to this region in November of 2009, I tasted wines that ranged from excellent to un-inspiring. While I enjoyed the wines made by the majority of the producers we have historically carried, I came across a couple of producers whose wines I decided I could not import this year because the quality was not up to their usual standards. Having said this I totally agree with Allen Meadows’, The Burghound, assessment of the vintage for the reds which he characterizes as being “fresh, intense, bright, vibrant and very terroir” and the “average 2007 will make for pleasant near-to-medium-term drinking.” I would suggest buying and drinking the 2007’s while waiting for your 2005’s to mature in your cellar. Once again, all the wines were shipped in a temperature controlled container, which we feel is essential in preserving the quality of the wines and to protect each bottle from the hazards and rigors of a trans-Atlantic journey. Unfortunately, due to transportation scheduling conflicts and some slow fermentations, several of the wines included in this booklet will be arriving later in the year. These wines have been marked as such, but we will be accepting orders for them from the
outset. If you have any questions about any of the great wines included in this offering, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or any of my knowledgeable staff; we will all be very happy to assist you in making your selections.
To view this year's full booklet, please click here
For this year's 'quick reference guide', please click here
And for the order form, click here
- John Clerides
Owner of Marquis Wine Cellars