2006 La Gaffeliere

Polished and rich and really reasonably fleshy for a 2006 with tannin but not to excess. Fresh enough. Not forced. (JR)

Bright ruby-red. Primary aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and violet. Juicy on entry, then densely packed and vibrant in the middle, with a fine-grained texture to the crushed black fruit and violet flavors. This suave, persistent wine finishes with sweet but firm tannins that call for a few years of cellaring.

Christmas fruitcake, truffle, cured meats and sweet earth along with black currant notes make for a complex, noble bouquet. In the mouth, some of the vintage’s tell-tale angular and astringent tannins give the wine a slightly attenuated mouthfeel, but there seems to be plenty of concentration, medium to full body, and lots of minerality. My instincts are that this wine is going through a relatively closed, difficult, ungracious state, but I like its potential. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2026+.