2006 Nuits St Georges Villages

Lachaux's 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges smells so ripe that it suggests peaches along with its purple plum and black raspberry. Floral suggestions of buddleia waft throughout, while at the same time smoky, peaty elements lurk as it were in the shadows. These bittersweet, smoky floral, fruit and mineral elements entwine dynamically yet harmonically in a gratifyingly persistent finish that is a harbinger of things to come in an amazing collection. This illustrates the combination of flavor concentration with near-delicacy and of soothing texture with stimulation that characterize so many of the best 2006s. As with a number of such pairs chez Arnoux, the corresponding 2005 is good but cannot compete for either distinctiveness or generosity. Pascal Lachaux – who subscribes to the prevalent notion that this vintage reflects elements of 2000 and 2002 – is one of the very few red Burgundy growers (Rouget another) whose 2006s strike me as outclassing their 2005s. It's possible that his having had a prior vintage to become accustomed to the opportunities afforded by his spacious new, gravity flow cellar contributed to his success this year. And it's of course also possible that I have under- or over-rated one of these vintages. Lachaux – who defends 2005 as one of his best-ever collections – concurs in finding each 2006 typical for its site as well as more expressive than his 2005s have thus far been, and in the observation that these 2006s improve as they open to the air, suggesting to me considerable longer-term cellaring potential than one can expect from most wines of the vintage. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990