2006 Vosne Romanee

Grivot's 2006 Vosne Romanee has brighter red fruit (raspberry, red currant) presence and more cut and persistence of finish than his Nuits Les Charmois, albeit at the price of a hint of tannic roughness, which I suspect will integrate if one gives this a couple of years in bottle. Subtle smokiness and meat broth notes supply a measure of intrigue, and this should prove an engaging representative for its village over the next 4-6 years. Incidentally, Grivot sold off the juice of his younger village-level vines this year, just as he had done in 2004. "For me, the virtues of 2006 are freshness, reflection of terroir, minerality, and enormous vinosity. It is an accessible vintage," says Etienne Grivot, quickly signifying that "accessible" should on no account be taken pejoratively, or as excluding cerebral appeal. His aim to reinforce these characteristics by very gentle extraction has proven highly successful. Grivot says that since his experience in 2004 he is determined to chaptalize only extremely lightly – to extend fermentations a bit – if at all, because he believes that depressing finished levels of alcohol will other things being equal promote more expressive and elegant wines. He finds the frequent comparisons of 2006 to a cross between 2000 and 2001 reasonably apt. Incidentally, prices dropped a bit here in the 2006 vintage, an especially welcome move when one considers the high quality of the wines, not to mention the prestige of this estate. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400

Medium red. Black cherry aroma complemented by violet and menthol. Sweet but juicy and firm, with good minerality and tannic spine giving this village wine grip and energy. I'd wait at least a year or two on this one.

Good, bright full red. Musky redcurrant and leather on the nose. Suave on entry, then sweeter and livelier in the middle than the Charmois. A firmly structured wine that finishes with more noticeable tannins and an herbal element.