2006 Maison Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru

As one would wish from this great site, the Drouhin domaine 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses displays high-toned floral and red fruit notes (here narcissus and kirsch) and a silken refinement of tannin. Salted beef stock and chalk seem to underlie a refined, buoyant palate, and a dark robe of tart plum and black cherry; bitter fruit pit; roasted coffee with hints of caramel; and forest floor elements spreads allure in a long finish. Surprisingly, this harks back in many respects to this year's Drouhin village Chambolle rather than to the brightness of the corresponding premier cru blend. I suspect it will be worth following for half a dozen years. "I was skeptical when the harvest came," says Philippe Drouhin about 2006, "because the weather had been so hectic; we had to sort the grapes; and it was not as nice as '05. But the more I tasted the '06s in the course of the year, the more I liked them." Winemaker Jerome Faure-Brac says he was hyper-cautious about avoiding the extraction of bitterness or under-ripeness, and employed vendange entier (whole clusters with stems) on a significant share of the grands (and top premiers) crus, but only in conjunction with rigorous table-sorting. Most came in at 13-13.5% potential alcohol. The wines were bottled about as early as they ever have been at Drouhin, to preserve and avoid drying out the fruit. (Just as elsewhere in this report, I have frequently indicated in my tasting note whether the source of grapes is the family's domaine or contract fruit, but have not attempted to reflect this as part of the descriptions used to identify the wines.) Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

More transparent than most. Quite evolved and a little soupy on the nose. Very sweet start. A little muddy and simple and sweet. Chewy tannins on the finish. Sinewy. Dangerously evolved. They bottled their wines very early. (JR)