2006 Clos Vougeot

The Grivot 2006 Clos Vougeot is predictably fuller, more palpably dense, and less dynamic than other of the wines in this collection, with fine-grained if abundant tannins. Ripe blackberry, cedar, smoked meat, ginger, and blond tobacco make for a penetrating nose and sappy, pungent palate impression, carrying into a sustained finish. There is plenty of admirable material here, even if the wine doesn't quite sing when compared with some of its cage mates. I would plan to give it 2-3 years in the bottle and then follow over the subsequent half dozen. "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