2006 Chambertin Clos de Beze

Smoky black tea, rose petals, dark berries, and licorice waft seductively (and site-typically) from the glass of Clair 2006 Chambertin Clos De Beze. Seamlessly-rich and refined in tannins, this offers a gorgeous layering of flavors anchored in clean meatiness and suggestions of stoniness and crystalline minerality that carry no sense of austerity. While missing the remarkable dynamic of the Clos St.-Jacques, in its own way this supremely elegant, intriguingly-nuanced, and memorably persistent Pinot is a model for the vintage and of its great site's potential year in, year out. Plan to give it 3-4 years of rest before savoring it for the 6-8 that follow. Bruno Clair and cellar master Philippe Brun have a battery of 1,500 liter upright fermentation casks as well as larger ovals, which permit more wines to depart small barrels sooner but not have to go into tanks. And in 2006 (or for that matter 2007), they concurred that preservation of fruit and preventing the wood from drying it out were paramount considerations. (In fact, the Marsannay cuvees were still not yet bottled when I last tasted them in the Spring of 2008.) Picking here, by the way, lasted from September 23 through October 4, and the results certainly speak emphatically for themselves. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Very sweet and rich on the nose. Correct, with great spine, but still reticent. A bit step up from other flights with a certain amount of chew. Great balance and vibrancy. Long, subtle. Dry finish. Dried cherries flavour but no suggestion of dried fruit. Very persistent. Real energy there. (JR)

Medium red. Musky aromas of redcurrant, smoked meat, mocha and flinty minerality. Sweet and creamy but weightless, with fleshy but suave flavors of raspberry, minerals and underbrush. Finishes with noble tannins and lovely lingering perfume. A wonderfully soil-inflected wine that should be glorious by 2017 or so.