2006 Vosne Romanee Les Genaivrieres

The Leroy 2006 Vosne-Romanee Aux Genaivrieres smells darkly of blackberry, mossy forest floor, roasted meat, and decadent floral perfume. In terms of fruit freshness, though, this is bright, while also displaying a hint of tannic grit. Its lingering finish returns to the dark side, with intriguing intimations of future complexity, though only time, I think, will reveal how this wine's tannins are resolved. The results achieved by Lalou Bize-Leroy in 2006 are all the more notable in view of the misgivings she expressed early on about this vintage. (And, as her reaction to 2004 demonstrates, she will not shy away from declassifying even her entire production if she feels that the wines are not up to their terroir pedigrees.) As voluptuously rich as are Bize-Leroy's 2006 reds, they preserve the sense of buoyancy and elegance common to so many of the standouts of this vintage, and one's gums will not come away fatigued by the strength of underlying tannin or the near-hyper-concentration displayed by her – to be sure awesome – 2005s. As every year, these wines represent meticulous vine manicure; miniscule yields ("above all regulated by severe pruning, not triage," Bize-Leroy emphasizes); and fidelity to biodynamic methods and metaphysics; and were bottled in the second December following the harvest. Despite their winsomeness, they have long life expectancies. Since, however, I have very little experience of their predecessors as they have matured, I have confined my prognostication to a few isolated and very general comments in the tasting notes that follow. Note that I have included as well under the heading "Leroy" the wines of Madame Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay – its cellars located outside Saint-Romain – which now encompass two appellations in red, since inevitably when information is being sought about these wines, and even often when they are described, it is under the name "Leroy." Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

Medium red. Smoky redcurrant, red cherry and sexy earth tones on the nose. Smooth and suave in the mouth, with ripe acids framing the red fruit and floral flavors. More detailed than the Nuits villages, this wine also has more middle-palate density to support its tannins. Finishes clean, firm and minerally.