2006 Gevrey Chambertin Les Combottes

Wood smoke and rose petal; along with fresh ripe red raspberry and strawberry, rise from the glass of Dujac 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes. While this site was not hailed on, there is a bit of tannic roughness here that reminds me of the village "Fils & Pere bottling," and the fruit strikes me as inherently more fragile, albeit winsome. A medicinal sense of iodine and bitter herbal concentration adds to the palate staining intensity of the finish. I would plan on serving this over the next 5-6 years. Jeremy Seysses only destemmed a minority of his 2006 fruit, and in some appellations none. The results demonstrate that Dujac got things ripe – not to mention right – in a challenging vintage, with a collection that need not fear comparison with 2005 at this address. (Perhaps, if anything, 2005 ought to look to its laurels!) The team here started picking only on September 23, and then very meticulously and selectively. Clos de la Roche, for example, was picked in two passes nearly a week apart. The top wines came in at between 13 and 13.5% natural alcohol, with minimal chaptalization employed in some instances to extend fermentation. "Color and flavor extraction was easy," says Seysses, "and we did more punch-downs than in 2005, because we felt quite confident of our material. The fruit is fresh and crisp, but not green, and we had no jamminess. It was just right. There's very little to complain about." Indeed! Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724