2010 Hudelot Noellat VR Malconsorts: Phew!

WINE TALK
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Was doing a bit of red burg re-stacking and noticed this bottle and thought “oh shit, the dreaded 2010 HN overfill bulging corks thingy”. Plus the bottle had some ullage and showed obvious signs of leakage. Cork was firm and hard and did not come out easily but was soaked thru (as you would expect).

But the wine, holy shit. This is beautiful perfect expression of HN house style and the vintage and an excellent VR 1er cru vineyard. It was firing on all cylinders. Elegant and refined floral nose, intense med red fruit has an unexpected cranberry note but tasted fully and perfectly ripened. Text book HN silky texture and mouthfeel and then had that amazing peacock’s tail finish where the palate seemed linear but then it fanned out into an amazing long finish. Seriously good bottle of wine.

Despite the panic and anxiety the wine was superb. Malconsorts may not quite be in the class of Cros Parantoux or Gaudichots but man it is a seriously great 1er cru vineyard. Damn look at the neighbourhood!

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I had a 2010 HN Clos Vougeot last year and similar story. Bulging cork, signs of leakage, drop dead gorgeous.

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Was the malconsorts from mag? Or did they only start doing that later? Pic looks like a 750.

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I had (operative word now) several bottles of 2010 HN. I was concerned about the overfill and leakage but shouldn’t have been. EVERY one was perfect. The 2010 HN RSV is one of the best wines I have tasted. I love the vintage too. Great note Brodie.

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Charles bottled mags/larger I believe in all years. I recall him saying in 12 or 13 (I think) he switched to mags/larger only. He doesn’t make a ton, and they are smaller sized barrels

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So nice.

Definitely not slumming it in that neighborhood.

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It was a 750ml. HN moved to magnum only bottling for the Malconsorts with the 2013 vintage.

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Great notes. I love Charles’ wines, but did not start buying them until the 2013 vintage. Love 2010s. Wish I had some 2010s of his wines.

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Great note, Brodie, and very timely: I’m opening an 09 of this shortly :slight_smile:

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Nice. I got rid of all my 2010 HNs because of the gas issue, but man they were awesome when they came out.

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Opened this in the name of science, to see if/how an 09 holds up.
(Spoiler alert: it holds up)

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Brown sugar nose.
Sweet red cherry fruit and a nip of cherry pit bitterness. Touch of fresh fig, all balanced by med+ acid with tannins taking the back seat. Has that woody sting of matchstick reduction and long, long finish.

A hedonistic and warming wine, tipping the scales at a hefty 14% Alc. To quote a friend, “the Riche is rich”. Just a baby transitioning out of primary. Delicious. 95 for me.

If you prefer a more refined, delicate and cerebral glass then this wine may not ring your bell. But if you chase the oenologic equivalent of a big buzzy orgasm, this might get you there.

Because I am that kind of nerd, I sealed the Coravin hole with candle wax 3 days ago and will revisit tonight with a friend, thus establishing my berserker bona-fides by sharing AND settling once and for all time the vexing question: “does Coravin even work or am I a gullible stooge”?

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Doing the hard work so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.

Coravin Verdict Update: “Not dead yet!” (but headed that way)
With 1/3 of the bottle under argon, this was fine on opening after 3 days, but even to my dim palate, it was less fresh and less vivid than when I first tapped it. I hope for better than “fine”.

Next time I reach for a fancy-pants Burg I will, like all right-thinking Berserkers, just uncork it and share until empty.

I think Coravin is a help but not a miracle. Helps for a couple days if I use it properly (ie: more than half the wine volume left, use the thinnest needle, purge the unit yadda yadda yadda).

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Has anyone had a problem with a wine because of overfill and leakage. It may make the bottle look less pretty, but does it ever hurt the wine? If so, why. Don’t know, just curious.

Can you “fix” any problems by getting a Coravin and taking a bit out?