2006 Chambertin Clos de Beze

A terrifically meaty, smoky intensity characterizes Raphet's 2006 Chambertin Clos de Beze whose ripe black fruits and licorice further saturate the palate, accompanied by abundant though relatively fine-grained tannins. No question this is a relatively austere, spare exemplar of its great site, but its combination of levity and transparency to stony, chalky, and savory meaty notes with sheer tenacity is remarkable. I would give it 3-4 years before planning to follow it actively for the subsequent 6-8. But rich sensuality is never going to be its theme. In fact, this is almost a Zen-like Clos de Beze. The Raphet wines have always been marked by a wide divergence of quality and a reflection of conditions very much as nature presented them. The results in 2006 are relatively lightweight, with for the most part only bottlings from the characteristically top sites and vines of the domaine really asserting strong personalities (and a presumably hail-tainted and rather 1983-like village Gevrey being less than recommendable). Gerard Raphet says he picked consciously on the early side, and then quickly, boosting the alcohol levels on most wines slightly from their potentials in the low 12s. (For further information about Raphet and his sites, readers are urged to consult my report in issue 171.) Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93