2006 Chambertin

vendange entier Full ruby-red. Crushed dark berries and smoked meat on the nose, lifted by floral and mineral nuances. The densest and plushest 2006 at this address, with a velvety texture rare for this vintage. The black fruit flavors show a restrained sweetness and finish with superb subtle persistence. Rich tannins coat the entire mouth. This boasts incredible hang time on the palate for a 2006, and should be extremely long-lived. Wow!

The Dugat-Py 2006 Chambertin smells hauntingly of rose petal, smoky black tea, brown spices, and ripe dark fruits. More suave and refined in texture and for all off its sheer viscosity and grip more elegant than any of its stable mates, this finishes with palate coating, richness of black fruits and pistachio paste, and at the same time an explosively energetic intensity, showering gravity-defying rose petals and spices. As with lasts year's equally unforgettable rendition, the 200 liters of this were crushed by foot with all the stems intact and aged in a custom barrel. Anyone lucky enough to acquire some should wait at least a few years before revisiting and expect at least 12-15 years of extraordinary potential, but this does not demand long-aging in the way that the 2005 did.||As usual, Bernard Dugat prided himself on having been able to harvest ahead of the ban de vendange thanks to the intensity of his vineyard labors and to yields of around 25 hectoliters per hectare. (He also credits the accumulated effects of three years on a biodynamic regimen.) Potential alcohol was for the most part in the high 12s, and only a handful of cuvees were lightly chaptalized, Dugat reports. As usual, too, he employed significant percentages of whole clusters and stems in most wines. For further details on Bernard Dugat's approach, see my report in issue 170. Perhaps it hardly requires noting, but the prices of these wines continue to rise relentlessly, sadly but perhaps inevitably putting them out of the reach of most Burgundy lovers. And unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to taste the two red appellation Bourgogne bottlings of this estate. Wine Advocate.December, 2009