2006 Domaine Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin

Dugat's 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin – almost inevitably incorporating some parcels that were hit by hail – displays a surprisingly dark color for its vintage and appellation; sweetly ripe, nutmeg-tinged cherry mingled with pungent wood smoke and well-hung game; and a penetrating persistence of sweetness, pungency, brightness, and tannic hardness. A kirsch distillate-like aura wafts throughout this, emphasizing the impression of high ripeness, and meat stock suggestions add richness of a carnal sort, but this will need to deal with its tannins, and I'll refrain for now from prognosticating further. "I like the 2006s a lot for their very Pinot character, their elegance, and the expression of their respective terroirs," says Claude Dugat, echoing the sentiment expressed by a great many growers about this vintage, and adding that his crop's potential alcohol levels were significantly lower than in 2005. That said, richness and robustness nearly always seem to be in the cards at this address, and in fact the 2006 collection displays formidable density and tanninity, the latter at times reinforced by the effects of new wood. Dugat admits – again, echoing the observation of numerous growers – that his 2006s put on weight and structure in the course of elevage. (The suggested pricing I received for these wines seemed implausibly high, incidentally, and I tempered it in response to spot-checking. But it should be noted that market prices for these wines are both especially high and highly variable.) Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083